


Wither, Flourish, and Feast

by dragonofeternal, SetsuntaMew



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Body Horror, Cannibalism, Cults, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Fae & Fairies, Guro, M/M, Perspective shifts, Slow Burn, Torture, Trans Male Character, abuse mention, consensual cannibalism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2018-04-24 09:36:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 59,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4914424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonofeternal/pseuds/dragonofeternal, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SetsuntaMew/pseuds/SetsuntaMew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a transient witnesses Hakuryuu murder a member of his mother's cult, the two form an unlikely alliance to wipe out the remains of the cult that ruined their lives.</p><p>Updates every other Sunday!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Silence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [donntlookatme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/donntlookatme/gifts).



> While the buildup for this is pretty accessible to any audience, there will be parts of this fic later on that very much embody the [Dead Dove: Do Not Eat](http://mostlyvalid.tumblr.com/post/116424790408/a-proposal) trope. While we've done our best to tag things that are definitely going to come up, do be aware that this is going to end up a rather violent and strange place.  
> That is not to say, however, that it's a cruel or unpleasant fic. Death and gore can be funny. There is life to be found in it and happiness as well, and we hope you come away at the end feeling satisfied that the cruelties of the world can have their own odd justices. 
> 
> Dedicated to Nico, with love from both of us

Trees loomed high overhead as Hakuryuu worked. There was something about the forest that could be matched by nothing else; the calm of the twilight woods eased his mind, took him away to simple, more primal things. The feel of damp soil. The curl of root systems. The way that anything that could possibly ever live and breathe could also then be returned to the earth, breaking down into earth and trees and nourishing the entire ecosystem by its passing. Which, coincidentally, was exactly what he was there for.

The man at his feet was dead, without a question. Slain by his own hand, and good riddance to bad rubbish. In life, this man had thought himself part of something larger, servant to a great destiny that would cleanse the world of its sins and reveal him and the rest of Al Tharman as the chosen people of God. In death? He was about a hundred and eighty pounds of fertilizer.

Hakuryuu dropped the glamour off his wooden hand so he could better command the earth with his borrowed magic. He clenched his fist and felt the pull of all life towards decomposition; he flexed his fingers and felt how death springs forth new life. What he needed was somewhere in between. Hakuryuu concentrated, pushing plants to grow faster, to curl up over the fresh corpse he'd laid before them. Vines and whorls of grass wrapped up over the body and implanted themselves in the skin. At the same time he forced the body to break down, willing it to decompose faster, to return to the earth. The stench of rotting flesh slowly filled the air, and flies began to gather. Had Hakuryuu not been standing over it, perhaps the body would have drawn foraging animals near.

Hakuryuu sighed. The solitude of the woods soothed him. In the distance, he heard an owl hoot, but save for that the only sound was the droning of cicadas. He was out far from the world, so that all that remained was the earth below his feet and his obligation to his noble quest. It was good to be alone.

Someone whistled behind him.

Hakuryuu jumped. He was miles from civilization. There shouldn't be anyone here. His heart thudded in his ears, and the seconds felt like a millennia as he thickly swallowed. How much could they have seen? There had been no one there when he'd done the deed, or, at least, no one that Hakuryuu had seen. He took a breath and slowly turned around to face the whistler.

The source of the noise turned about to be a scrawny man, only a bit taller than Hakuryuu himself, wearing a shawl over an ill-fitted hoodie. His red eyes seemed to be studying Hakuryuu like a bird of prey as he slowly grinned.

"Pretty impressive work," he drawled. "Killing a guy and then leaving his body to decompose in the woods. Isn't that, like, a criminal offense?"

Hakuryuu forced his mind back into line. No rapidly beating hearts or panicked breathing allowed here. Think. He still had his knife, bloody from the murder but otherwise perfectly fine, laying in the grass at his feet. His opponent appeared unarmed, although the hand shoved into his hoodie pocket was a bit worrying. Still, for now he could mark the knife as a point in his favor.

"Who are you?" Hakuryuu demanded.

"You made pretty neat work of that guy," the man continued, ignoring Hakuryuu's question. He tilted his head to the side, studying the scene. "You've done this before, haven't you?"

"Who are you," Hakuryuu demanded again.

"I could probably get you in a lot of trouble for that." The man in the hoodie advanced with the casual laziness of someone with nothing in particular to lose or gain, yet there was a devilish hint in his voice. "Murdering people is usually pretty frowned upon."

Hakuryuu took a step back, his foot half crunching, half squelching into the rapidly decaying remains of his victim. Fuck. He didn't mean to show weakness. "I'm not going to ask you again, who are-"

"How about we make a deal?" the man cut in. "I'll keep my mouth shut about what I've seen here, and in return you'll…" Hakuryuu felt for his knife in the grass with his foot, steeling himself for the second murder he'd have to commit tonight. Why did he put it down, why-oh-why did he put it down…. "Do you have a place to stay?"

"What?" Hakuryuu's mind blanked at that. "I- What does that have to do with anything?!"

The man rolled his eyes. "Well, I am a transient with no place to stay, and you are a murderer with a dark secret to hide out in the woods." Hakuryuu sucked in a tight breath and moved his left arm behind him. Shit. He hadn't even thought that the man might have seen him working magic. The man kept up his slow, lazy advance until he and Hakuryuu were almost chest-to-chest. "So how about we make a deal?"

Hakuryuu glared up at the gangly man before him. "And that would be?"

"Well, if you have a place to stay, then that's something I'm sorely lacking. So…" He jabbed Hakuryuu in the chest. "I get to stay with you for free, and in return I'll keep my mouth shut about the daisy-pusher here. Or whatever."

Hakuryuu could bend down, grab his knife, fight this man, and kill him here in the woods. He could struggle with this wiry hobo in a death match, and he could probably win too.

Or he could accept the idiot's proposition and bring him home with him so that he could do the deed once the hobo fell asleep.

"It's a deal."

 


	2. Judal

Judal, that was the hobo's name. 

He'd finally given it to Hakuryuu after they'd driven the forty-five minutes it took to get back into town and stopped both for McDonald's and to retrieve Judal's bags from the public park where he'd stashed them. 

The man was a disgrace. Wandering the woods and leaving valuables in a park? He deserved the fate that Hakuryuu had planned for him. Worst of all, or perhaps best of all, he seemed blissfully unaware, and instead just chattered on and on about some inane subject Hakuryuu didn't care to listen to. How he could have ever been intimidated by this buffoon was a mystery to Hakuryuu. The drive back to his apartment couldn't be over quick enough. 

"Hmm, nice digs," Judal said as he entered, glancing around at the furnishings. He stalked around the apartment like a new dog, experimentally peeking down the hall towards the bathroom and poking his head into the kitchen before jumping into the couch without even taking his shoes off. He grinned across the room at Hakuryuu, and it was all teeth. "I guess this'll do. What's for dinner?" 

Dinner? Did this freeloader also expect him to prepare a meal for him? Every minute with this man made Hakuryuu more frustrated, ready to grind his teeth in annoyance. "This isn't a bed and breakfast." 

"Yeah, I know that." Judal slung his feet up on the arm of the couch, finally kicking off his sneakers. They might have been nice once, but now they looked as ratty as the rest of his clothes. "If it were a bed and breakfast I'd be paying you." He fished in the pouch of his hoodie and pulled out a cellphone, wiggling it from side to side. "But you don't want me to go calling the cops or whatever, right? So I'd love some dinner. I can draw my own bath while you're doing that." Hakuryuu opened his mouth to protest, but Judal was already on his feet and vanishing down the hall, his thick braid swinging behind him. 

The idea of that mongrel using his shower and dirtying his pristine bathroom made Hakuryuu see red, but for now it was best to play along, at least until he could separate Judal from his cellphone. Couldn't have him calling for any help. He could always clean the bathroom later, and besides, night wasn't that far off now.

Hakuryuu sighed and turned to busy himself in the kitchen. If he had to feed and house this Judal for a night to silence him then so be it. But what to feed him? Chicken, he decided. That was cheap. And no sense wasting effort or spices on that guy. A little salt, a little butter, cook it in a pan, serve it over vegetables and a bed of pasta with a simple cream sauce. It was the sort of meal that Hakuryuu could make in his sleep, and an enjoyable enough one for one night. He'd been making a conscious effort not to cop out on his meals because putting the effort into making good, enjoyable food always made him feel better, but he'd be fine with simple for one night.

Even though it was simple, cooking eased some of his stress. It was meditative almost, and as he watched the chicken sizzle in the pan he sorted out his plan for the evening. He'd feed Judal, make some small talk over dinner, and then hopefully Judal would go to sleep quickly. Then, once he was sure he was completely asleep, he'd stab him through the heart and-

No, no. Bad plan. That would make a mess. He'd strangle him to death in his sleep; that would be much easier to clean up. Hakuryuu flipped over the chicken and checked the timer on his pasta. It looked like he'd timed everything just about perfectly to be done all at once. Now here was just hoping that his rude house guest was as well timed. 

"Mmm, nothing like a good shower." 

Hakuryuu looked up from his cooking. "You're just in time. It's almost…." He felt his breath catch against his intentions. "It's almost ready."

Judal cleaned up distressingly well, and it pissed Hakuryuu off. He hadn't been unattractive before the shower, just shabby and a little dirty, but now his black hair shined and his braid was in perfect order, to say nothing of how his eye shadow made his red eyes pop. It was almost a shame to have to kill someone so attractive. Almost. 

Hakuryuu pointed at the table. "Take a seat. I don't need you hovering over me while I cook."

Judal seemed to make a point of not doing as he was told and came up behind Hakuryuu to peer over his shoulder. He sniffed loudly in Hakuryuu's ear. "Mmm… looks good…" Judal reached over Hakuryuu to try and take a fingerful of sauce.

"Ah! Don't do that!" Hakuryuu batted his hand away with the rubber spatula. "Do you want to burn your finger off? Go sit at the table!" What an obnoxious man.

Judal laughed but did as he was told. "Very well, Mr. Murderer, I'll go sit and be a good boy."

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes and gripped the spatula tighter. Earlier statement retracted- it wouldn't be a shame to kill this man at all. He shut the timer off seconds before it was set to screech, removed the pasta from heat, and drained it over the sink. Finally, he tossed the whole affair together, threw some onto a pair of plates, and set it down on the table in front of Judal. Judal stared in wonder down at the plate and then back up at Hakuryuu. Ah. Right. Silverware. Hakuryuu got back up and retrieved knives and forks for the both of them. 

"Here." Judal took the silverware offered, but the awed staring didn't stop. "What?" Hakuryuu said, a little rudely.

Judal slowly looked up at him with an astonished grin. "Damn, I lucked out! A free place to stay and my roommate can cook too? Almost like I died and went to heaven."

I wish, Hakuryuu nearly said. "I'm glad," he said instead, taking a bite of the food. "So tell me, Judal, why exactly are you homeless?"

Judal laughed again, digging into his food. "You're blunt, aren't you?" Hakuryuu opened his mouth to protest, but Judal cut him off with a wave of a fork. "It's fine. I like blunt. I don't have any need for pretty words or shit like that." Judal shoved his face full and kept talking. "But what were we saying? "

"Why did you need to stay here?"

"Right! It's cuz I'm new to the area. Just moved here from the east coast."

"Oh?" Hakuryuu could not believe his luck. If he really was new to the area, then it would be all the harder for him to be noticed as a missing person. No one will care when ends up dead.

"Oh yeah," Judal drawled. "This is delicious, by the way. Everyone always puts too much crap in their food, all those spices and stuff, but this is just like. Simple and perfect. Nothing nasty or weird and the veggies are easy to shove out of the way." As if to illustrate, Judal shoved a piece of broccoli aside. What a child.

"So why did you move out here?" Hakuryuu pushed further, trying to keep his chosen conversation going. He didn't really care, outside of whether or not someone would be looking for this guy, but showing interest would help Judal be less suspicious of his ill intentions.

"Oh, you know." Judal noisily slurped his pasta. "Escaping evil cults, running away from my dark past, the usual."

Hakuryuu felt the pit of his stomach drop out. Funny how often Judal seemed to be capable of making that happen. Still, the general setting was right. Was this man tied to his mother's cult? He racked his brain for everything he could remember from his research into Al Tharman and its members, but there was simply too much to recall. If he was tied to Al Tharman… He swallowed thickly. No. No, calm down. He couldn't let himself pan-

Judal broke into another bout of loud, raucous laughter. "Oh my god! You should see your face! Ah, and now you look so- pffff, hahaha!" Hakuryuu furrowed his brow. "Did you really believe that? Jeez, I was yanking your chain! Telling a joke! I'd think anyone could have seen that." 

"I'm not good at jokes," Hakuryuu growled. That was the last straw, on top of all the other straws Hakuryuu had been collecting. This man died tonight. 

Judal wiped a tear from his eyes, choking in his laughter. "Geez, you don't say! But that's fine! Pff- I like it. You're kind of a funny guy, Hakuryuu. It's endearing." He leaned back in his chair, letting the last of his laughter die down with a big, contented sigh that left a stupid smile on his face. "I think we're going to get along just fine."

* * *

Judal took forever to go to sleep, insisting first on more pasta and conversation, then on properly exploring every inch of the apartment, and finally forcing Hakuryuu into more mind numbing conversation that Hakuryuu faked his way through with appropriately timed grunts and mm-hms. It felt less like waiting for a victim to fall into his trap and more like babysitting a hyperactive child. Hakuryuu lay in bed, staring sleeplessly up at the ceiling and praying to whatever was out there that the silence in the living room meant that his unwelcome house guest had finally fallen asleep. Hakuryuu sat up. The apartment wasn't that large. He'd probably hear if Judal was still moving around. 

Okay. Planning time. 

Strangulation was the cleanest plan and, if he was lucky, the quietest too. Judal being asleep would give him enough of an edge that he could probably choke the life out of him before he woke up. And even if he did wake up, he'd probably be halfway to death by the time he was conscious enough to fight back. Hakuryuu quietly got up and walked over to his closet to remove the scarf his sister had knitted him two winters ago. He could just use his hands, yeah, but something about the idea of killing this guy himself seemed wrong. More dangerous. 

Frightening.

Hakuryuu looped the ends around his hands a few times and snapped it taught as though to test it. Yes, the scarf would work. 

Still, he'd feel safer with a knife anyway. Hakuryuu walked back over to his nightstand and pulled the drawer open to retrieve his knife. It was a simple hunting knife, and its weight was reassuring in his hands. He'd purchased it shortly after moving out here, before he'd even gotten his own place, and its presence in his nightstand had been a comfort on nights like this. Okay. He could do this. He'd done it a thousand times before.

Well, maybe not a thousand. But at least twenty or so. 

Hakuryuu eased his door open and padded down the short bit of hallway to the living room. Judal lay curled on the couch, sleeping like a baby, his back to the rest of the room. Hakuryuu drew a deep breath. Time to do this. He crept close to the couch and gazed down at Judal. The knife at his belt was a reassurance and he reached to touch it for comfort.

"You know," Judal purred, his back still to Hakuryuu, "I might be a heavy sleeper, but you don't need to bust out the butcher knife to wake me up." Hakuryuu nearly jumped out of his skin. Dammit. Had he heard him coming? 

"You..." Hakuryuu's hand closed on the hilt.

"Or is it that I'm that much of a bore as a house guest?" Judal made no move to get up from the couch as he lay there in the gloom, but as Hakuryuu looked closer he could see that his body was ready to spring into action at any second. "You don't want to do that, Hakuryuu." 

Hakuryuu sucked in a breath and gripped his knife tighter. Fine. Strangulation was out, along with logic. He'd just stab the bastard to death and be done with it, get out all that pent up anger and frustration that being around Judal summoned up.

"You didn't kill me in the woods," Judal said. Perhaps now, and only now, the slightest waver went into his voice. "You didn't kill me out in the middle of nowhere with no witnesses. Why wait till now? Was it because you didn't want a struggle?" He finally sat up and looked back over at Hakuryuu, his eyes bright and wild. Hakuryuu resisted the urge to take a step backwards. "If you kill me here, I'll scream so loud I'll blow the whole fucking lid off your operation." As if he could smell Hakuryuu's fear, Judal's grin widened. "To say nothing of what I'll do to you if I get my hands on that knife."

Hakuryuu and Judal stared at each other in the lean light that filtered in from the kitchen window. The seconds ticked by like years, and finally, Hakuryuu released his grip on the knife and made an aggravated noise.

"I'm keeping you alive because I don't want trouble," he said, jabbing a finger at Judal. "But don't think for a second that I won't do away with you if you get in my way or try to breathe a word to the police."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Judal said, rolling his eyes as he laid back down. "I'll just sleep with one eye open and be a good little boy."

"Good."

It seemed anti-climactic to simply wish him goodnight, but it was just as awkward to stand there in the gloom and stare at Judal. Hakuryuu turned and started back down the hall to his bedroom. 

"Good night, Hakuryuu," Judal called softly from the couch.


	3. An Impossible Task

"Hey, so Hakuryuu, what's for breakfast?"

Hakuryuu started in the doorway of his room and glanced down the hall to the living room. Judal lay half-draped on the couch, staring at him. "Excuse me?"

"I said what's for breakfast!" Judal laughed. "Geeze, I know your one eye is goofy, but I thought your hearing was at least halfway fucking decent." 

Hakuryuu stared, almost aghast at how flippant and friendly Judal was being. It was as though the night before had never even happened, as though Judal hadn't woken up with Hakuryuu standing over him with a knife in his back pocket and a scarf to strangle him with wrapped around one hand. The man was utterly demented.

"I haven't decided yet," he answered finally, slowly walking down the short hall to the living room and breezing past the sprawled Judal without a second glance. "I just got up."

"Liar," Judal interjected. "I've heard you fussing about in your room all morning, picking clothes and puttering around like an old geezer."

Hakuryuu felt his hackles rise, but he calmed himself. Don't stoop to his level. Don't engage. He's just a crazy man-child, and if you pay attention to him, then you're losing the game. Hakuryuu picked an apron off the hook hanging from the kitchen wall and set to answering Judal's question for himself. He had eggs, he found, and bread that was getting a little stale around the edges. French toast it was then. He whipped up the eggs with milk, cinnamon, sugar, and dash of vanilla extract…. after a moment's consideration he plucked the hazelnut liqueur from beneath the sink and added a dash of that too. Maybe Judal would have a tree nut allergy, and he could kill him that way. That would be convenient. 

"Heeeey, Hakuryuuuuu," Judal whined from the couch in the other room. "You never answered me. What are you making?"

"French toast."

Hakuryuu could practically feel Judal's annoyance in the silence that followed. It brought a smirk to Hakuryuu's lips. Yes. Be offended by this brusk treatment. Hakuryuu flipped the french toast over and admired the perfect, golden brown crisp on the first side. Be as offended as you care to be. Drop your guard and then drop dead. Hakuryuu pulled the first few slices from the pan just as he spotted Judal at the corner of his peripheral vision.

"You can take those," he said, pointing with the spatula. "Butter and syrup are in the fridge." 

Judal snatched the plate up and breezed past Hakuryuu to get to the butter and syrup. "What about the sugar? The white fluffy kind, not the grainy shit."

"The powdered sugar?" Judal nodded. Hakuryuu pointed. "Bottom drawer. The clip's a little loose, do not spill it everywhere when you pick it up." 

Judal just laughed. "Oh, but of course mother I'll be sure to be ever so careful with it." 

Hakuryuu bristled at the snide aside but said nothing. The sizzling of egg-soaked bread in a buttery pan filled his ears and nose with pleasant things. It made it easy to ignore whatever hell Judal was wreaking on his own food. It formed a sort of baseline static that drowned out the annoyance at Judal and the awkward tension of being so close to someone he'd almost killed the night before. Now, he supposed, was the time to plan his next moves. The idea of poisoning Judal's food seemed a possible way to get rid of him- but no, Hakuryuu had other plans he needed to move forward- ah, yet wait still he couldn't move forward with Judal hovering around all the time-

Hakuryuu's phone began to ring, a strange, lilting song emanating from the speakers. Zagan. He picked it up with only the slightest bit of annoyance. "Yes?"

"Well, that's quite the hello," came Zagan's indignant voice. "Is that any way to greet me?"

Hakuryuu pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm cooking. And busy."

"You haven't been by in weeks." 

"Because I've been busy, Zagan." Hakuryuu cradled the phone in the crook of his shoulder as he took his own slices of french toast off the pan. 

"Well, you should come by and say hello," Zagan insisted. "I've been worried about you. I'm sure you're just sitting, holed up in your room, _brooding…"_

Hakuryuu glanced out into the living room at Judal and the mess he made on the kitchen table. It wasn't as bad as Hakuryuu would have expected. "I wish. And you know I'm not in my room, I just said I was cooking."

"Whatever," Zagan said in dismissal. "You should still come and see me. I have work for you to do."

Hakuryuu felt his false arm prickle. He steeled his mind, pulled the glamour tighter around it. This was clearly not a request. "I'll be there. I could use the fresh air anyway. Let me just finish my breakfast."

Zagan practically trilled in delight on the other end. "I look forward to it. I'll have Marianne set the kettle on for your arrival!" The phone clicked off on Zagan's end, and Hakuryuu put it away in his back pocket.

"Who waf that?" Judal asked from the table with a mouth full of toast. 

"A friend." Hakuryuu picked up his own plate and joined Judal at the table. He had to admit that Judal's method of topping his french toast- drowned in so much butter and powdered sugar that the two mixed into an almost-icing over top the thick slices of bread- looked enticing. It also made his teeth hurt just looking at it. Hakuryuu simply buttered his, letting the flavours of his cooking do the brunt of the work. "He needs me to run some errands for him. You are to stay here while I'm gone."

"Whaaaaaat?" Judal leaned forward across the table in an exaggerated display of annoyance. "What are you, my warden? Can't I come along?"

"No."

"You're a dick." Judal shoved some more french toast into his face and looked positively pouty. "Fine, have your fun with your friend. I'll just hang out here and eat all your food."

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes. "I could care less."

* * *

Zagan's house was overgrown in a way that straddled the line between "chic hippy dishevelment" and "this is a condemned property that hobos squat in." Ivy crawled over every surface, paired with a delicate climbing plant with small, colorful blossoms to fill in the space between vines. The stones of the path were cracked and worn, and the little bit of paint that could be seen between plants was faded and chipping. Hakuryuu knew, from experience, that the handrail was a splinter waiting to happen. And yet, staring at this old house slouched among the green, Hakuryuu felt almost at home. The gardens were tended in a meticulous order, and every hanging plant was perfectly watered. His left arm gave a phantom tingle as he gazed upon Zagan's domain, as though the enchanted wood was anxious to return to the place where it was created. 

He wondered what sort of errand Zagan had in store for him today. Some days Zagan simply required mundane things, like groceries that only humans made, or random knick-knacks his magically created servants fancied. With his tone on the phone however, Hakuryuu felt that Zagan probably had something slightly more consequential for him to do.

Judal whistled behind him, the same low whistle as when he'd caught Hakuryuu attempting to kill a man, but this time Hakuryuu didn't jump. "Damn. And this is where your friend lives?"

Hakuryuu turned around and eyed Judal in annoyance. "I thought I told you you weren't invited."

"Oh, you did." Judal returned Hakuryuu's glare with a lopsided grin. "But I decided I was curious, so I came anyway." He pulled the cellphone out of his pocket and wiggled it back and forth before tucking it away again. "Figured you wouldn't mind that much."

Damn bastard certainly knew how to threaten a man while seeming completely casual. Hakuryuu vaguely wondered if he really had been part of a cult. "I mind very much actually, but apparently I can't stop you." He pushed open the white picket gate (not wrought iron; never iron with Zagan) and went up the stairs. 

Judal trailed behind, taking in the garden's beautiful and strange plants and letting his hand drag up the banister as he followed Hakuryuu up the stairs. Hakuryuu relished the little "Ow, fuck!" Judal muttered when he was inevitably bitten by the splintering wood. Idiot. 

"Okay," Hakuryuu said, pausing at the door to whirl around on Judal. "Ground rules before we go in. Do not talk to Zagan. He hates- people." Humans, really, but Hakuryuu figured he didn't need to shove the magic is real card in Judal's face any more than Zagan was about to. "So just. Sit there. Don't touch anything. Try not to be annoying." Judal opened his mouth, but Hakuryuu cut him off. "I know that's impossible for you, but please try."

Judal rolled his eyes. "I will have you know that I am a fucking delight, Hakuryuu." He plucked the splinter of wood from his palm and flicked it at Hakuryuu. Hakuryuu rolled his eyes right back and turned around, opening the door to Zagan's home.

The house smelled old. Older, perhaps, then it was possible for such a house to be, as if whatever ancientness Zagan bore was transferred into the very brick and wood he surrounded himself with. Judal danced over tiny plants springing up between the floorboards and gave Hakuryuu a curious look as they moved quietly through the dim, cramped house.

"So this friend, is he a hobo or what? This dump looks abandoned."

"Zagan chooses to live this way, and it is not a dump." Hakuryuu found himself feeling oddly defensive. 

"Uh-huh, right…" Judal glanced down narrow hallways and up crooked staircases, curious as a cat. "And where exactly-" 

"Ooooh, you brought a friend, Hakuryuu," came a lilting, teasing voice. "And here I was starting to think you didn't know how to make them." A single hand, elegantly thin, and too large to be human, extended itself from a doorway, making a beckoning motion before vanishing back inside. "Come, come into the parlor. I've been waiting on you." 

Hakuryuu hunched his shoulders and made a face. "I'm perfectly capable of making friends," he grumbled, too quiet for Zagan to hear, "and he's not my friend." Judal didn't seem bothered by by Hakuryuu's grouching, though, and bounced past him, eager to see this friend of Hakuryuu's.

The parlor existed in fish eye: too large for its own cramped space, warped by magic and desire to accommodate its inhabitant. Zagan tended the plant growing from the far wall, which was heavy with blossoms and seed pods Hakuryuu was fairly certain wouldn't be hatching into fruit. The sickly sweet smell of it made Hakuryuu feel at home. At Zagan's feet, small creatures, not quite animal or plant or anything else offered assistance: handing him watering cans, or seeds, or occasionally entirely unrelated trinkets that were no help at all. The ones that handed things like that got gentle pats on the head and verbal reassurance that while this wasn't helpful right now, it was a lovely gesture. Hakuryuu cleared his throat, and Zagan turned, feigning delighted interruption. 

"Ahhh, Hakuryuu! And-" he paused for a moment, eyeing Judal. Hakuryuu did not miss the nauseous gag that had preceded the pause. "And a little friend." 

"Little? You're the one that's freakishly huge!" Judal said, throwing himself dramatically on Zagan's antique sofa.

"For what purpose have you called on me, Zagan?" Hakuryuu asked, offering a small bow before taking a seat next to Judal. A few of the creatures, lesser faeries of Zagan's creation, came trooping up from their posts at the side of the room to offer Hakuryuu tea, which he respectfully declined. He trusted Zagan about as much as one could possibly trust an ancient being of pure magic, but there were some things you simply didn't chance.

"You haven't visited recently." Zagan accepted the tea from his creations, sipping it daintily. Like a cgi movie trick, the cup fit his hands perfectly and yet when placed on the table was the same size as the one Hakuryuu had refused. "I've been worried."

"I'm doing fine." Hakuryuu avoided glancing over at Judal. "You said you had something you needed."

"All business, aren't we?" Zagan sounded annoyed. Perhaps this had just been an unimportant pleasure visit after all. "I'm allowed to want to check up on my human servants now and again." Zagan reached across the table and took Hakuryuu's left arm in his hand, and the glamour that made it look as though it were human flesh melted away under his touch, revealing the wood and magic prosthetic Zagan had given him all those years ago. "No troubles with this, right?"

Hakuryuu easily resisted the urge to be nervous. This was just Zagan being Zagan. "None at all. I would let you know if there were. Now what is it you needed of me?"

Zagan released Hakuryuu's arm and leaned back against the arm of the couch, cradling his chin in his hand. "I suppose it is that earnest nature of yours that attracts me. Very well." A sunflower with a smile full of fangs slithered into view around the sofa and offered a folded up piece of parchment to Hakuryuu. Hakuryuu took and unfolded it slowly, mindful of how the ancient creases nearly tore as he did so. "I want you to retrieve that for me. I've heard gossip that it's surfaced somewhere on the north side of town."

"The jewel?" Hakuryuu raised an eyebrow at Zagan as he looked up from the paper. "Or do you want the entire hideous carpet as well?"

"No, not the carpet!" Zagan waved his off hand in annoyance. "What use would I have for the jewel if it's still in the carpet? Didn't you read it?"

Hakuryuu glanced at the writing on the parchment again, a sprawling, calligraphic script he didn't recognize. "I can't read this, Zagan."

Judal leaned over. "I could take a crack at it." Hakuryuu pulled the paper closer to him and glared at Judal. "Or not, whatever."

Zagan sighed. "Humans. Shouldn't you be able to read each other's writing?" Zagan reached across the coffee table between them and snatched the paper back. "It says that the carpet is made to protect it, and is so wide even the tallest man cannot simply lean across it to take the treasure. To tread upon it is to face death, and to use any instrument or magic to remove the stone is also an invitation to destruction. Only someone of a clear and modest mind can retrieve it." Zagan flung the paper back at Hakuryuu, and it fluttered for a moment before landing on the table. "I want it, and you will bring it to me."

Hakuryuu stared at the paper and then up at Zagan. Fae. "Of course, Zagan." He took the parchment off the table and carefully folded it again before storing it in his coat pocket.

Judal laughed at the whole exchange, slapping at the arm of the sofa. "Man! This guy has got you whipped!" He wiped a tear from his eye. "Alright, sounds like we got our work cut out for us. I gotta take a leak and then I guess we better get to it, huh?" He hopped to his feet and grinned at Zagan. "So where's your bathroom?" 

"Down the hall to the right, if you reach the kitchen, you've gone too far."

"And this bullshit stone carpet thing?"

Zagan smiled. "I haven't the foggiest. Like I said, somewhere on the northside of town. I scribbled a few places I heard it might be on the back, but I'm sure you'll be able to find it."

Judal grinned at Hakuryuu. "Your friend's a dick."

"So that man…" Zagan said as soon as Judal was gone. "How exactly did you come to make a friend like that?"

Hakuryuu made a noise of annoyance. "He caught me killing some nobody from Al Tharman and demanded I house him or he'd call the cops. He's not my friend, and I'll be disposing of him as soon as I can."

"Is that so?" Zagan replied. He drummed a finger on his lips, looking thoughtful. "Well, you'd do well to be cautious around him."

"Of course I would do well to be cautious around him. He saw me kill someone." Hakuryuu slung his feet up on to the sofa as a rude gesture he knew wouldn't actually bother Zagan at all. His left foot knocked into something, and he sat up a bit to see what it was. "Oh. His phone." Hakuryuu stared at it before something clicked in his brain. He dove across the sofa and snatched it up, eager to disable it. The back of the phone was cracked, and it took delicate work to jiggle it off without shattering it completely. Zagan watched with detached amusement, humming a bit. When the back finally popped off, it revealed a badly corroded battery in casing just as damaged as the back. Hakuryuu looked up at Zagan, as though somehow he could provide an answer.

"Well? What's so exciting about it?" Zagan asked. 

"This. It's his cell phone." Hakuryuu slowly clicked the phone back together. "It… he's been threatening me with this since he showed up. Like I said, he… he said he was going to call the cops." He flipped the resealed phone open and tried to turn it on. Nothing. He didn't know what else to say other than, "It's broken."

Zagan lifted a hand over his mouth and laughed. "It's broken? Oh, now that is rich!" 

Hakuryuu stared dumbly at the flip phone in his hands. "He tricked me."

"Played you like a fiddle, as they say." Hakuryuu's head snapped up, and he glared at Zagan. Zagan just chuckled and flicked his eyes towards the doorway. "He's coming back now. Might want to put it back where you found it." 

Hakuryuu fumbled and flung the phone back across the couch. Sure enough, Judal rounded the corner not a moment later, babbling about how he was surprised the bathroom in a dump like this could be so nice. Judal flopped onto the couch, sprawling so he took up more than half of it. "So are we about done here? You got your little mission thing, I pissed, we schmoozed. I'm sure Mr. Plant Fairy over here doesn't want you dawdling." Judal fished around under his ass to retrieve the fallen phone and flipped it open to play with. Pretend to play with, Hakuryuu supposed. Damn him.

"Yes. I suppose we are." Hakuryuu rose and bowed to Zagan. "We will retrieve the jewel and be back as soon as possible. Please be patient-"

"I always am."

"-and I will fulfill you desires." Hakuryuu redid the glamour on his hand and gestured for Judal to follow him out of the building.

"Sheesh!" Judal exclaimed as they clattered down the stairs and out of the yard. "What a guy! And you said you're friends with him? How the hell did you get to know a fae that fuckin' powerful?"

"I don't have to tell you that," Hakuryuu said, concentrating straight ahead and ignoring Judal's contortions to try and catch his attention. "In fact, I don't have to tell you anything, other than that I think you should leave, or perhaps, go jump off a bridge."

"Wow, rude!" Judal danced in front of him. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

Hakuryuu stopped and glared. Judal didn't even flinch. He just kept blithely grinning at Hakuryuu, like this was some fun game he'd found. "I looked at your phone, Judal."

"Wow ru-"

"It doesn't even turn on." Hakuryuu's tone was flat and dangerous, and it stopped Judal in his mental tracks. A worried tick twinged the corner of his face. Hakuryuu continued, glad to finally have the power again. "You've been running this entire plan on an empty bluff, desperately hoping I wouldn't notice. You dropped your phone when you went to the bathroom, Judal, and I looked at it. I doubt that piece of crap has worked for a very long time." A car drove by on the street as Hakuryuu waited for Judal's response. Judal fidgeted with a piece of hair, seemed to become transfixed by a passing bird, and studied his shoes, but he did not answer. "I don't like being lied to or misled."

Judal's jaw worked, and he made an aggressive, directionless gesture. "So what are you gonna do? Kill me? Here? In broad daylight?" Hakuryuu realized Judal was working himself back up into his clowning and rudeness. A good thing to note. "You're more subtle than that. You could-"

"What makes you think I haven't possibly already laid the seeds to kill you?" Hakuryuu illustrated his point by reaching out and wilting a small patch of a flowering bush with his touch. "I could have already infested you and not even need to be near you to pull the trigger." 

It felt good to be in control again, even if it was on a bluff, and Judal squirmed under his intense gaze. Hakuryuu plucked a flower from the bush, twirling it about in his hands. Killing Judal here would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. Zagan's street was quiet, not uninhabited; someone might be watching at that very moment. Instead, he had a better plan. 

"You're going to come along with me on my errand," Hakuryuu said, and it left no room for argument. "You are going to do exactly as I say. If you refuse or resist, I'll kill you on the spot. We're going where nobody would care if they saw you die." Hakuryuu crushed the flower in his hand. "Is that clear, Judal?"

Judal's mouth worked unpleasantly. "Crystal."

* * *

Hakuryuu was grateful for the distance his threat had put between him and Judal, but it did little to ease the other annoyances this quest was giving him. First there had been the embarrassing revelation that apparently the stone he was after had a name that Zagan had neglected to tell him. After that, he had been tested by a string on pawn shops and treasure hunters who claimed to have no idea where he'd find it. Half of them hadn't even heard of the damn thing! Then finally there was the information broker he'd almost managed to trick into trading Judal for the stone's location. Judal had thwarted his attempts at the last moment by pulling off his hoodie and flipping it inside out and backwards. The poor information broker had been so confused she'd wandered off as though she'd never even seen them.

"How is it," Hakuryuu asked as they descended a flight of stairs down from yet another dead end, "that you know enough about faeries to know that flipping your hoodie inside out would deter them?"

"Doesn't everyone?" Judal joked, in a tone that suggested he was perfectly aware that normal people didn't come equipped with the anti-fae survival tools he seemed to posses. "Or, since you seem so impressed, maybe I'm just a genius." 

"I highly doubt that," Hakuryuu lied. Even if Judal was mad as a hatter, Hakuryuu had to admit he was clever. Unfortunately. He was also unfortunately knowledgeable about magic, and Hakuryuu made a mental note to grill him for what he knew and why once this was over. His boots clicked as he hopped off the last step of the info broker's store and back onto the concrete of the winding alleyway. Judal's feet were almost silent as he landed, as though he'd floated down to land on pillows instead of aggressively jumping two steps from the bottom to land so close to Hakuryuu that he almost knocked him down. 

"So where next then, oh wise Hakuryuu? Since I'm too dim to be allowed to make suggestions." 

Dammit. Apparently complimenting him (or perhaps attempting to sell him to a faerie in exchange for information) had reawakened his disrespectful mouth. "I've exhausted most of my usual sources… All that's left is the last place Zagan thought he heard it might have been, maybe, once. So probably we're about to break into another basement and then I can bash my head into the wall. Or maybe talk to you some more. Since they're about the same thing, really."

"You're in a foul mood." Judal rolled his eyes at the insult. "Is there a reason that we didn't go through all his suggestions first?"

"Because," Hakuryuu explained, for the third time that day, "Zagan is an ancient and gossipy fae who hates humans. If the stone, jewel, whatever it is, has been floating around in the human world like he says, then most of his information is likely to be out of date or incorrect." 

Judal nodded. "Makes sense." Hakuryuu braced for more prattling, but Judal stayed quiet until they reached their destination. "This it then?"

Hakuryuu nodded, crouching down in front of a ground-level window that peered in a basement. In the wan light of sunset, Hakuryuu couldn't make out anything on the other side. They would have to go in, but he'd been expecting that. 

Judal pulled his hoodie off, flipping it from its fae obfuscating but utterly ridiculous position from before back to its regular, sensible way of being worn, and then put it back on. "Want me to open the way this time?" 

Hakuryuu glanced back at Judal and stepped aside. "Be my guest." Judal grinned and jogged up to the window for momentum, kicking it in with a snap of his leg and a splinter of glass. Hakuryuu screeched. "Don't do that!! We're trespassing, possibly breaking and entering, don't draw any more attention than we already ar-" Judal was already shoving Hakuryuu down towards the hole, laughing. "Ah! Don't push, I'm going, I'm going!" Hakuryuu gripped the window frame in between shards of glass and dropped as straight down as he could manage, then skittered aside. It was gloomy down in the basement, and musty. Hakuryuu coughed and squinted, trying to adjust to the darkness. Above him, Judal grabbed the top of the window frame and swung in, landing and stumbling towards-

"Watch out!" Hakuryuu grabbed the back of Judal's hoodie and yanked, knocking them both backwards. Judal sputtered and flailed. 

"Hey what the hell was-"

"Shh!" Hakuryuu shoved a hand over Judal's mouth. "And look-" he pointed straight ahead and waited for Judal's eyes to adjust to the gloom. An oriental rug, far tackier looking than the picture conveyed, lay a few feet before them, dominating most of the room, and in the very center glimmered a brilliant red stone. 

Judal blinked hard. "Well, I'll be damned." He said against Hakuryuu's hand. "We found it."

"Get off…" Hakuryuu gently shoved Judal aside and got up, slowly walking up to the edge of the rug. It was just as Zagan had said. There was no way he'd be able to just lean over and grab the stone. He slowly walked the perimeter, cautiously stepping over the rats that had been so unfortunate as to wander onto the rug. It appeared the warning was no laughing matter. Hakuryuu glanced up at the ceiling, wondering if there was any way he could somehow use that… no, that would probably count as a tool. Using vines from his arm was out as well- no magic. 

"Mind if I try?" Judal interrupted. 

Hakuryuu glanced over to glare at him, sitting crouched on the floor by the wall. "Yes. Leave this to me." Judal shrugged and leaned back again, looking bored out of his mind. Hakuryuu returned his attention to the carpet. Perhaps there was some secret in the way it was made? Like there were certain parts that could be tread upon but not others. Would throwing rocks at the stone until it slid off count as using a tool? There were simply too many variables, and no room for error. He glanced at Judal again. Well, if he came across a good enough idea, he did at least get one shot before having to test it himself. Hakuryuu reached the point where he'd started his walk around and sat down to think.

Minutes ticked like hours as the light of day slowly filtered out of the room to set with the sun. Hakuryuu pondered long and hard, but nothing seemed to click. Would he have to call it quits for the day and come back tomorrow? Would he even be able to come back here tomorrow? Would training a falcon to grab the stone for him count as a tool, and how does one go about obtaining a falconer's license? Hakuryuu's mind was wracked with nothing but questions.

"Okay, this is just getting embarrassing," Judal snapped, popping up from where he'd squatted against the wall. He took three long strides over to Hakuryuu and shoved him out of the way, rolling his neck and shoulders. "Let me take care of this."

"What? No!" Hakuryuu grabbed at Judal's hoodie, but that didn't stop him. "No, don't touch it, don't try to help, someone like you will just-" Judal squatted down again, cracking his knuckles. "What are you even planning on-" Hakuryuu felt the pit of his stomach out as Judal gripped the edge of the carpet. "No!" He was going to get them cursed, they were going to die, any second now some horrible fate would descend upon them. Hakuryuu staggered back, staring in horror as Judal roughly rolled up the edge of the carpet bit by bit until he could easily reach over and pluck the gem out of the center. 

"Boom." Judal said, tossing it to Hakuryuu. Hakuryuu fumbled to catch it, staring in horror at the beautiful gem in his hands. This was his death. "It only said you couldn't step on it or use tools or magic, right? So there's nothing to stop you from just grabbing it with your fucking hands and rolling it up. A kid could figure that one out." 

Hakuryuu looked back up at Judal, who looked utterly casual and was already passing Hakuryuu to climb back out of the broken window they'd entered through. It was such a simple solution, and yet it obeyed all the rules set out; a perfectly fae answer to a seemingly impossible problem. Hakuryuu slipped the stone into his pocket, feeling the weight and magic of it, and trailed after Judal, who had already started babbling about something else inane and unrelated.

* * *

"Well, Zagan's happy," Hakuryuu announced as he emerged from the house. Judal looked up from his seat on the porch steps and grinned at him.

"Well, that's good to hear. Always good to keep crazy fucking faerie fucks happy." Judal hopped back to his feet. "Shall we head home?" 

"Mm." 

Hakuryuu and Judal walked in silence, the crisp night air settling around them and reminding them that soon the hot days of late summer would be giving way to the crisp chill of fall. The white noise of cicadas and distant traffic droned around them. Judal joined them, humming softly as he bounced along a couple steps ahead. Hakuryuu, however, did not feel wholly at peace. There was something he needed to say.

"Judal-" his own voice caught with how quickly Judal looked over to meet his gaze, head cocked to the side. "I. You knew. From the beginning. You knew how to solve the riddle and get the gem out of the rug."

"Well, yeah," Judal replied. "Like I said, it was kid's stuff. It was painfully boring just sitting there and watching you struggle with it. I thought you'd figure it out eventually, buuut I'm not a patient man. So I took it from you." He grinned dangerously. "Hope that doesn't fuck up whatever your deal is with Mr. Plants and Bullshit back there." 

"No. No, it's fine, Zagan doesn't care as long as he gets what he wants." Hakuryuu waved a hand. "What I meant is…. I may have misjudged you. I don't… like to admit I'm wrong, but you're a lot smarter than I gave you credit for. You conned your way into my house with an empty bluff, you solved a fae's impossible task, and you definitely know more about magic than the average drifter." Judal shrugged with a noncommittal noise. "Don't do that, god, you're so insufferable. I'm trying to apolo-"

"I don't really give a rat's ass, Hakuryuu." Judal's grin got even wider, and he skipped ahead a bit. "If you misjudge me that's your own damn problem. But I'll take the compliments." He stuck out a hand. "Friends? Since that seems to be what you're getting at here."

Hakuryuu carefully regarded it. "I don't know about friends, but… temporary allies, yes." He took the offered hand, and Judal shook it with such vehemence Hakuryuu would have almost thought he was forging a pact with something far beyond human.


	4. An Itch You Just Can't Scratch

It was a couple of days before Hakuryuu tried asking Judal about magic and his involvement with it, but the days in between were some of the smoothest they'd shared so far. Not easy, mind, but better- realizing Judal wasn't a complete dullard made him somewhat more bearable. 

Hakuryuu placed a plate of fresh strawberries and whipped cream in front of Judal to bribe him into conversation. "So. You knew about magic to begin with." 

Judal plucked a strawberry off the plate and shoved it into his face. "Well, that's a fine way to say hello." Hakuryuu pushed the plate towards Judal, and Judal grinned, taking this as bribe enough to answer. "But yeah, I already knew about magic."

"How."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Judal fingered a dollop of whipped cream onto a strawberry and popped the whole thing into his mouth.

"Yes." Hakuryuu said. "That's why I'm asking you."

Judal hmm'ed and ate a few more strawberries, scratching at the back of his head. Hakuryuu forced himself to be patient. Usually he didn't have a problem with that sort of thing, but something about Judal just made him antsy, his mind itching like the bug bite he'd found on his arm that morning. 

"I've just always known about it, I guess." Judal offered a strawberry to Hakuryuu. 

Hakuryuu took it. "So you grew up in a magical family then."

"Never said that." Judal replied. "Just that I've always known about that stuff. What about you, Hakuryuu? How come _you_ know about magic?"

Hakuryuu frowned. "That's none of your business."

But Judal pressed on. "You said we're allies now, Hakuryuu. If you want me to play my hand, you gotta let me peek at your cards too." He swirled a strawberry in cream and pressed it against Hakuryuu's lips. "You're the crazy killer after all; I think I deserve a little explanation about that at least."

Hakuryuu pulled the strawberry out of Judal's fingers and licked his lips clean. "Don't do that." He took the time to eat the strawberry to avoid answering Judal though. He did have a point. If he expected Judal not to keep any more secrets or play any more tricks like he did with the phone, Hakuryuu would have to let Judal slightly into the loop. "I got magic out of an agreement I made with Zagan." A half-truth, but good enough for Judal. "Which is why I run errands for him." Judal nodded, scratching more emphatically at his own head. Hakuryuu scratched absently at his own bug bite as well. Seeing Judal scratch was making him itchy. "I don't kill for him though, and- could you stop that!" Hakuryuu snapped. "You're making _me_ itch!"

"Jeez!" Judal laughed. "What, is a guy not allowed to scratch an itch around here?"

"Not when you're doing it constantly!" Hakuryuu scratched his arm again. 

Judal sighed and rested his chin in his hand. "Whatever." He pointed with his free hand. "You should stop scratching at that bug bite. You're just going to make it worse."

"I know that!" Hakuryuu replied, giving it another emphatic scratch just to be difficult. "I don't even know where it came from… It's pretty much past mosquito season…"

Judal raised his eyebrows and leaned a little further over the table to get a better look. "Looks like a flea bite to me." 

"How the hell would I get a flea bite?" Hakuryuu shot Judal a look that seemed to ask if he was stupid. 

Judal gave one of his lazy shrugs and flopped back into his chair. "From a flea, I guess. I get 'em all the time." He scratched at his head again. "One of the less glamorous perks of a life on the road."

A dark realization crept over Hakuryuu. "You get them all the time?"

"Yeah?"

Hakuryuu stared in dull horror as Judal made a show of picking something from his hair and flicking it away. Fleas. He'd let in a flea-bitten, mangy mongrel of a man, who not only was eating all his food but giving _him_ fleas as well. The thought had never even occurred to him. How much else had Judal infested? Was the couch tainted as well? The carpet? His bed? (Not, of course, that Judal had ever been in his bed, but if Hakuryuu himself was getting bitten than it seemed entirely possible that he too could be victim. Oh god.)

"We have to fix this immediately." Hakuryuu stood up so quickly that his chair nearly toppled over.

"What?" Judal looked up at Hakuryuu like he was the crazy one.

"You," he jabbed a finger at Judal, "are not infecting my entire apartment with fleas. We are going to the store, and we are buying- how did you even get fleas?"

"Same way a dog does, I'd imagine."

Hakuryuu scratched at his own flea bite and tried not to give in to the delusional imagining that he was covered in biting, itching fleas. "Right. Being a homeless vagrant who sleeps outside." Judal's smile was entirely too smug. "Well, we're going to the store, and we're getting something to take care of this." Shampoo? He was pretty sure that was how you got rid of fleas.

Judal shoved the last couple strawberries in his mouth and picked up the bowl so he could lick away the last of the cream. "Whatever you say, Hakuryuu."

* * *

"So how, exactly, do we go about getting rid of these little buggers?" Judal asked as they stared at the pet section. "Heh, _bug_ gers."

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes at Judal's amusement at his own accidental pun. "When I googled it, it said that regular, proper hair washing should take care of them." When Judal didn't get it, Hakuryuu pushed on. "Which means you're disgusting." 

"Or I got reinfected from my clothes. Or I just have a shit ton of hair for the fuckers to hide in." Judal squatted down in front of the de-fleaing options, fingers dancing over the colorful lids as his eyes surveyed the happiest assortment of dogs stock photography had to offer. "So why don't we try to attack this more viciously?" He snatched a bottle of the shelves. "This one says it has oatmeal! I hear that shit's great for hair." He offered it to Hakuryuu. 

Hakuryuu took the bottle and looked it over. _Oster Oatmeal Naturals Fresh Breeze Scent Flea & Tick Shampoo kills fleas and ticks during all stages of the life cycle with an active ingredient that originates from the chrysanthemum flower. For use on dogs and puppies over 6 months in age._ "Heard it from where?"

Judal just shrugged. "Dunno. People. I don't remember."

Hakuryuu sighed. Of course he'd get an evasive half-answer. He picked up a blue bottle of anti-flea fabric spray without scanning the label and tried not to nervously look over his shoulder to see who was watching. "Are people staring at us? Or is it just me?"

"Oh, you're staring at me?" Judal teased, "That's sweet."

Hakuryuu kicked at him and glanced up and down the aisle. "Shut up. You know what I meant." A family with an overloaded shopping cart peered down at the two of them from the head of the aisle but then moved on, and Hakuryuu felt his cheeks heat up. Judal leaned around Hakuryuu to wave at them. "Let's just get this and go. Come on Judal." 

Judal laughed and followed along like a cheeky shadow. Hakuryuu was so busy glancing about as they made their purchases (which was stupid, lots of people buy anti-flea and tick supplies, no one had to know they were buying them without owning a dog) that he didn't notice Judal had slipped a chocolate bar past the self-checkout scanner until he pulled it from the bag.

"Hey," Hakuryuu said, frowning at him.

Judal just laughed and broke off half. "Here, I'll share."

* * *

Hakuryuu handed Judal the shampoo as they crossed the threshold into the apartment. "You go shower. I'm going to spray down the apartment."

"Aren't you going to come help me wash my hair, at least?" Judal said, flipping his braid over his shoulder.

Hakuryuu gave him a look. "And why would I do that? You're a grown man, Judal, and you're more than capable of bathing yourself." 

Judal returned the look with a grin of his own. "Yeah, but like you said- if you wash properly this should just take care of itself! So, obviously, I need help with all this hair to get the job done right." He jabbed Hakuryuu in the chest. "Checkmate, help me wash it all." He pushed past Hakuryuu, their shoulders brushing together just enough to turn Hakuryuu around to follow him. 

Hakuryuu huffed. "Fine." 

Judal was already stripping his hair out of its long braid, hair spilling all over the bathroom floor. It seemed to lengthen exponentially as he unbraided it, the almost floor length braid overtaking the entire cramped bathroom in a sea of black. Hakuryuu could only watch in awe as Judal freed its silky black expanse. 

"So when was the last time you got a haircut?" Hakuryuu asked as Judal re-wrangled the loose, wavy hair into his arms.

"Never," Judal said, sounding almost scandalized. "Sometimes I'll trim the ends if it gets too many split ends, but mostly I've just Rapunzel-ed the shit out of it." He dumped his hair into the bathtub and then went to pull off his clothes.

"Woah," Hakuryuu interrupted. "Hold on. If you think I'm going to wash your naked-"

"Fine, fine! I was just getting topless so I didn't get soaked, is that okay?" Judal slowly started teasing his shirt off.

"I... I suppose that's acceptable." Hakuryuu sat on the edge of the tub to watch Judal slowly pulled his crop top off. It was a good opportunity for him to take in the well-sculpted abs that had been teased at him all day. His eyes followed the hard line of Judal's stomach up to his chest, which was just as flawless, save for the pair of thin white scars along the underside of his pecs. It took Hakuryuu a moment of simply admiring Judal's muscles before he was staring at what might be a potentially sensitive subject that would force them to have an emotional conversation. He averted his eyes to instead to watch Judal get tangled up pulling his tiny shirt through his hair. "Shall I run the water?" 

Judal tossed the shirt aside and flopped down on the floor next to the tub. "Sure." He gave Hakuryuu a knowing little smile. "Did you enjoy the show?"

Hakuryuu flushed. "You're a pervert." 

Judal just smiled wider. "Then you're one too for watching." He leaned his head over the edge of the tub. "Now wash me."

Hakuryuu grumbled, but got up to oblige anyway. For a former vagrant, Judal certainly was a spoiled brat. Hakuryuu pulled the head off its mount on the wall and began to soak Judal's hair in the most businesslike way he could imagine. The water soaked through the hair, straightening out the dark waves Judal's braid had pressed into it into. The weight of it all pulled Judal's head back slightly, heavy and decadent. Hakuryuu turned the water off for a moment and set the shower head aside.

If this were a different story, if they were a different sort of associates, Hakuryuu could see this as the start to some hackneyed romance. He wouldn't be washing fleas out of Judal's hair with oatmeal dog shampoo, of course, he'd be playfully splashing him in a bath or some similarly saccharine bullshit. But he and Judal weren't friends, or cliche love interests, they were two people who happened to, against Hakuryuu's better judgement, be sharing an apartment. 

Still, since they weren't grotesque romantic cliches, this was almost nice. Hakuryuu let himself enjoy running his hands through the dark strands, relishing the silky texture. He slowly worked his hands through Judal's hair from bottom to top, and Judal leaned his head back into Hakuryuu's hands, beginning to hum as his eyes slid shut in contentment. 

"You're enjoying this way too much," Hakuryuu said to hide his own thoughts, glaring as he reached for the shower head so he could rinse the shampoo out.

"I wasn't aware there was a cap on how much I was allowed to enjoy having my hair washed." Judal smirked a little, not opening his eyes. "Back before I was a hobo I had people to do this for me all the time."

"I just don't want you getting any funny ideas."

Judal laughed, and that shattered any illusion of a mood. The sound was loud, raucous and more than a little bit unnerving in such close quarters, rather much like getting locked in a car with a hyena. Hakuryuu frowned and "accidentally" sprayed Judal in the face to shut him up.

Judal sputtered and jerked up. "What the hell was that for!?"

Hakuryuu just smiled at him, a tiny little vindictive smirk. "To shut you up." Judal glowered at him like a soaked cat. "I'm going to go spray down everything soft and permeable with that anti-flea stuff we got. You can finish rinsing out your hair yourself."

Judal stuck his tongue out at Hakuryuu as Hakuryuu shoved the showerhead into his hands. "Jerk!"

Hakuryuu got up off the floor and collected the spray from the hall, setting to work dousing every fabric surface in the apartment with it. Carpet, bed spreads, sofa, Judal's bag, everything was coated in a fine dusting of anti-flea chemicals. It made his throat itch, and his hands burned a little. Like bleaching a bathtub clean of mildew stains, it felt good. Clean. Although the lingering chemical stench was a bit worrisome.

Judal coughed as he came out of the bathroom, the burden of his hair rebraided and slung over his shoulders like a damp, tired animal. "God, it reeks out here." 

Hakuryuu stifled a cough in return. "Yes. It does. I." He looked at the spray bottle and finally read the instructions for use. Wash hands after using, and allow area to air for 2-4 hours after use. Do not allow animals or small children near affected areas. "I finished getting everything sprayed down. I may have also just sprayed poison all over the apartment."

"You sound surprised." Judal said, raising an eyebrow and cocking out a hip. "Of course it's fucking poison, it kills stuff!" 

"I need to wash my hands." Hakuryuu practically threw the bottle on the couch and rushed past Judal to the bathroom, feeling quite stupid. "And then we need to go outside for the next several hours."

Judal could barely hold back his laughter as he watched Hakuryuu scramble about. "You sprayed down the whole apartment, without reading the instructions?"

* * *

Judal flopped down on the curb next to Hakuryuu, scratching the back out of his head out of habit rather than any itch. After the cough-inducing chemical smell of the apartment, they were both grateful for some fresh air and took great gulps of it. Hakuryuu tried not to let his imagination make him think his hands were still burning from the flea spray.

"So. About what we were talking about earlier." 

"About what?" Hakuryuu said, happy for the distraction from his nonexistent chemical burns. "My sudden inability to read labels?"

"No, about why you kill people. Why do you do it, if not for Zagan?"

Hakuryuu bit his lower lip, considering the answer. It would be great to say something like, 'I have something I need to protect' but that was a self-serving answer, and it wasn't really true. Not anymore. "There's something evil in this world," he said finally, "and it's my job to erase it. I can't really live, not until it's gone."

Judal stared at him, head cocked slightly to the side. Hakuryuu pulled his light jacket a little tighter around himself. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, per say, but it went on longer than Hakuryuu would have liked. Finally, Judal rewarded him with a crooked smile and reached over to put a hand on Hakuryuu's shoulder. Hakuryuu blinked at it and then met Judal's gaze again, slowly smiling back. 

"Thank you, Judal." He put a hand over Judal's hand. "I think we're going to work together just fine."

"So can we kill somebody together then?" 

Hakuryuu let out a sharp, startled laugh. "What?!"


	5. Murder as a Family Bonding Activity

"How about that one?"

"No, Judal."

"Well, that one then."

"I am not going to kill a woman with a baby."

"That dude then!" Judal exclaimed, nearly spilling his soda all over the tiny cafe table.

Hakuryuu grabbed the cup before it upended. "Careful!" He waited for Judal to slump back into his chair in a huff before letting the cup go. "I told you, Judal, I don't just kill random people for kicks. I have a method. So be patient." Judal sat up enough to take his drink back so he could angrily slurp on the straw. Hakuryuu sighed. "Just. I told you, I have a very specific goal that-"

"That you need to see carried out. I get it, I get it!" Judal had the annoyed tone of a man who most certainly did _not_ get it. "But you can't just expect me to magically be able to tell who you should kill then."

Hakuryuu scowled and looked back out at the street. Normal people leading normal lives passed by. Those sitting on the cafe patio near them talked amongst themselves. Overnight, dark clouds had rolled in, covering the city in an overcast blanket of gray. Hakuryuu fiddled with his fork, feeling decidedly uneasy. 

"So are you going to answer me?" Judal asked, jabbing his mostly empty drink at Hakuryuu. 

"What?" Hakuryuu shook back to attention. "You never asked me a question." 

Judal rolled his eyes, leaning forward to follow his drink's attention on Hakuryuu. "How do I tell who's on your hit list?"

Hakuryuu's throat grew tight as he stared into Judal's bright, manic eyes. "They're. It's not easy to tell. Just by looking. I mean." Hakuryuu found himself thinking of Zagan, and the stone, and Judal's broken cellphone, and all the other small moments where Judal's cleverness had let him weasel more out than Hakuryuu had wanted him to have. Hakuryuu leaned across the table to meet Judal in the middle and whispered, "I'm hunting members of a very obscure and very evil cult."

Judal's eyebrows shot up in a picture of surprise and curiosity. "Oh?" He leaned in so close their faces were almost touching, and they hovered there for a moment until Hakuryuu shoved him away.

"Get out of my bubble," Hakuryuu groaned, sitting back into his chair. "And yes. That's. That's what I'm doing." He looked back out at the street. "They call themselves Al Tharman, and they believe in the presence of a creator god they call Il Illah, who must be revived for the world to be returned to its true state."

Judal snickered. "So what, you killin' 'em before they can go all Jonestown?" 

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes. "Jonestown was a mass suicide. What Al Tharman has planned is a lot more dangerous and important than a bunch of idiotic zealots drinking poisoned Kool Aid." He flicked his eyes back over to Judal and jabbed a finger down on the table. "They're messing with real magic, and if someone doesn't stop them they could endanger the entire world."

"Well aren't you just a regular superhero." Judal sounded entirely too pleased, and he knocked back the ice from his cup. "That being said," he gargled around crunching ice cubes. "That dude over there looks pretty shady cult like. You should go kill him."

"Really?" Hakuryuu almost laughed out loud. "You never stop, do you?" He followed Judal's pointing, empty cup to the designated target. It was a perfectly ordinary looking middle aged man. Not short or tall, skinny or fat, with a face so forgettable it was practically not even there: the sort of man who could be interchanged for any other man without anyone noticing the difference. Hakuryuu had to admit, that was as good a red flag as any. "Should I go give him the Al Tharman super-secret cultists only handshake?" The smile that spread over Judal's face could only be described as "devilishly delighted." Hakuryuu sighed and rolled his eyes. "There is no super-secret handshake. But if it makes you that happy, I will, and when it doesn't work _I'll_ pick the next one." He handed Judal a fistful of cash. "That's for a tip. You stay here. If this actually does work, hang around a little longer before heading back to the apartment."

"I'm going to spend this money on sugar, and you can't stop me."

Hakuryuu laughed as he got up. "You are a child." 

Judal waved him. "Go on, get going, I wanna watch the show!"

Hakuryuu gave a little wave in return as he left the cafe patio and joined the throng on the sidewalk. It wasn't too busy, but he almost lost his mark in the crowd anyway thanks to his nondescript appearance. Hakuryuu followed a few feet back, watching the man walk, judging what he was doing. He seemed to be alone, which was good, and if he had a destination, he was in no hurry to reach it. All in all, a good target and an easy mark. Hakuryuu took a deep breath and strode up to the man, closing the last few feet between them. There may not have been a secret handshake, but there was one thing that almost never failed to catch an Al Tharman member's attention.

"Hail our Father and His glorious rebirth," Hakuryuu whispered in the man's ear as he passed.

Hakuryuu kept going after whispering in the man's ear, moving on as though he had somewhere in mind. He felt a bit ridiculous whispering Al Tharman's cheesy little mantra in a stranger's ear with no proof that he was-

The man caught Hakuryuu's arm, staring at him. "May He deliver us unto the true world," came his whispered response.

Oh. Now that was interesting. Hakuryuu squared his shoulders and pulled his arm back. "I have orders for you. Things Al Tharman needs." The man's eyes lit up, as though he'd been waiting his whole life to hear that Al Tharman needed something of him. Hakuryuu turned and made a beckoning motion. "Come with me." 

It's amazing what people will do when you make them think they're special.

* * *

Hakuryuu shut the front door behind the man, who by now had thanked him about three times for this opportunity and who had nearly broken Al Tharman code twice by trying to tell Hakuryuu his name. Hakuryuu assured him each time that he didn't need to tell him his name; he knew full well who he was. (He did not. If he had seen the man in any of his small collection of pilfered Al Tharman dossiers, he didn't remember him. But once he was dead Hakuryuu would search his pockets and get all the info he could. And that was almost the same as knowing who he was now.)

"We should talk somewhere where we won't be seen from the outside," Hakuryuu said, and the man nodded, hanging off his every word. "I think the bathroom is best-"

"The bathroom?" 

Oh. So there was still some spine left in him. Hakuryuu furrowed his brow and affected the most domineering voice he could manage. "Because," he said slowly, as though speaking to a child, "it has no windows, and only one door, and is insulated inside by other rooms and closets, with no earthly possibility of someone being able to spy upon us." He smiled, all forced saccharine condescension, and thought of his mother. The man took half a step back. "Now, don't question my orders again." Hakuryuu pointed to the bathroom door, and the man scrambled for it, eager to obey. Hakuryuu leaned against the doorframe, and pointed at the tub. "Sit there. I'll be back with the file for your mission in just a moment."

"Yes, sir," the man replied, sitting on the edge of the tub. Hakuryuu shut the door and wandered off to the kitchen to get a drink. He could probably kill a few minutes waiting for Judal without having to worry about his mark getting antsy. Say what you will about religious fanaticism, but it's remarkably useful for getting people to sit still and wait for things that are never going to happen. When he was done with his glass of water, Hakuryuu rinsed the cup out and put it in the dishwasher. 

That done, Hakuryuu quietly walked to his bedroom to get his knife. On a moment's consideration, Hakuryuu also pulled his lockbox out from beneath his bed and opened it, thumbing through the files to see if he had anyone who looked like the man in the bathroom. The lockbox didn't hold all the dossiers he'd stolen from Al Tharman when he'd left home, most of which were stored in a pair of safety deposit boxes on opposite sides of the city, but it held a healthy selection of faces to look out for. After flipping through them, he concluded the man wasn't there, and shoved them back into the box, shutting the lid and flipping the numbers on the padlock in random directions. 

Still no sign of Judal. Hakuryuu sighed and got up, kicking his lockbox back under the bed. Should he mess around a little longer outside the bathroom, or go in there and try to bullshit up some mission for his anonymous Al Tharman member? When the hell would Judal get back? At this rate, he was going to have to kill the bastard in the bathroom before Judal made his way home. 

What if Judal didn't even come home?

Hakuryuu sighed, pushing such thoughts aside. What should it matter if Judal missed the murder, or didn't return? At this point, it was Judal's own business whether he made it back in time or even returned at all. Hakuryuu had a job to do. 

Double checking to make sure his knife was still secure against his back pocket (it was), Hakuryuu strode back to the bathroom and pushed open the door. The man looked up, eager and excited as a puppy. Hakuryuu felt nothing but contempt at the very sight of his face. 

"So what is my mission, sir?"

Hakuryuu slowly walked over to him, trailing his hand along the bathroom wall. "You will receive it in due time. First, what do you know of Al Tharman's mission?" 

The man's brow furrowed. "We are a sacred brotherhood that seeks to end the suffering of the world caused when Our Father left?" 

Hakuryuu stopped in front of him, leaning against the wall with his hands folded behind his back. "And Our Father is?" he pressed on, testing what this man knew.

"Our Father is simply Our Father… right?"

Pitiful. This man knew barely anything of Al Tharman's secrets, and he was already so slavishly devoted as to follow a stranger home on the promise that he had some special task in the world. With as ignorant as this man was, maybe he could be saved, turned from Al Tharman's influence. But there was no point in sentimentality like that. He'd chosen his fate the moment he'd sworn allegiance to that loathsome cult. Hakuryuu gripped the hilt of his knife.

"Heeey, I'm back!" Judal's voice called. Hakuryuu's heart skipped into overdrive. Finally.

The man started a little, looking up. "What was-" Hakuryuu yanked the knife from his back pocket and dove for him, shoving him into the tub and pressing the blade against his throat. The man cried out in terror, and he struggled feebly against Hakuryuu's grip.

"In the bathroom," Hakuryuu called, wrestling the man. The sound of Judal's bare feet padding through the door brought a smile to his face. "It's about time. I was starting to worry that you were going to make me wait." 

"So sue me, I got lost," Judal said with a grin, drawing up behind him. "Thanks for holding off on the grand finale, Hakuryuu."

The man's eyes widened in horror. "You're-" But the rest was lost to a horrible, inarticulate gurgle as Hakuryuu drew the knife through the man's throat, cutting deep. Yet he kept gasping, trying to speak, blood spitting everywhere, running down Hakuryuu's hands, spraying on his clothes. It was a good thing he didn't like this shirt. 

"That's right," Hakuryuu whispered coldly. "I'm exactly who you think I am: Ren Hakuryuu, son of Ren Gyokuen." The man's lips worked as the life slowly drained from his eyes. He lifted a hand, reaching out as if to point or protect himself. "And I'm going to destroy every last one of you Al Tharman bastards." As the man's hand fell, Hakuryuu shoved him back into the tub and lifted his legs to toss them in after him. 

Judal laughed at the spray of blood and Hakuryuu's drenched clothes. "That was quick."

Hakuryuu yanked his shirt off and tossed it on the bathroom floor. "There's no point in drawing out a killing unnecessarily unless you have a good reason to believe they know something you don't know." 

Judal raised his eyebrows. "And he didn't?"

"No." Hakuryuu walked over to the sink, running the water so he could wash up. "He didn't even know who I was until it was too late. He didn't even know about Al Tharman's true purpose." The water was cool on his hands, a nice counterpoint to the warmth of the blood he'd just bathed them in. "He was just some nobody."

Judal squatted on the floor of the narrow bathroom, watching Hakuryuu wash up. "You know, I never really got why cults kept schmucks like that around. Like, if you're gonna go through all the fuckin' trouble of indoctrinating somebody, shouldn't they at least be _useful?"_

Hakuryuu laughed back. "Doomsday cults don't fund themselves, Judal."

"Fair point!" Judal cocked his head to the side. "Though I guess you'd know that better than anyone, Mr. Ren Hakuryuu, son of fucking whatever it was you said." 

Hakuryuu's breath hitched a little. "...Yes. Yes, I suppose I would." He took his washcloth and began to wash the blood off his face, unable to turn and meet Judal's gaze.

"So you're this, this Gyokuen's son, huh?" Judal's distant, laughing tone was familiar. It was, Hakuryuu realized, the very same tone Judal had used when he found out Hakuryuu knew about the cell phone and could kill him at any point. A fair enough reaction, Hakuryuu supposed. Judal shifted, probably uncomfortable. "You're this Gyokuen's son, and now you're on a quest to, what? Kill her and all her goonies and save the world?" 

Hakuryuu forced a laugh out of his own throat. He hadn't really intended to spill so much of his life story to Judal, but here he was. "Yeah. Something like that." 

Judal's crowing laugh filled the bathroom again, and this time it was almost comforting in how loud it was. "I was right! You are like some fuckin' comic book-backstoried superhero!" He hopped to his feet and strode back up behind Hakuryuu, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "And I'm here for the ride too now, don't think yer rid of me yet." 

Hakuryuu glanced over at Judal. "You found out I'm the son of the founder of a cult that wants to destroy the world, and you still want to sleep on my couch." 

Judal grinned at him, all teeth and boisterousness. "You also apparently hang out with some ancient fae, and that didn't scare me off." He leaned in, too close for comfort. "Every second I'm with you, you get more and more interesting, Hakuryuu. There's no way I'm getting out now."

Hakuryuu took a deep breath and grinned back. "All right then. You'd better be able to keep pace, then."


	6. Issues in Food Safety

"I'm here, Zagan!" Hakuryuu called through the dark, cramped corridors of Zagan's house. He toed off his rain filled boots and set his umbrella by the door, shaking water from his hair and clothes. A little sunflower with a face full of teeth tugged at his pant leg, pointing down the hall to the kitchen. "Oh, he's in the kitchen?" Hakuryuu smiled at it and bowed his head a little. "Thank you." Hakuryuu carefully tiptoed down the hall around sprouts of plants and splintery boards, bag of groceries in hand. 

"Zagan," he called, "I got everything on your list! I'm not going back out there, though, the weather is horrible." Hakuryuu crossed the threshold into the kitchen and sighed. "Not that you'd know anything about that, I see."

Zagan glanced up from the beading he'd been working on. Warm sunlight played through the windows of the open kitchen and filled it with the glow of a fine spring day, reflecting off Zagan's meticulously organized beads and making the various plant and faerie creatures in the room laze about like cats. The kitchen was always sunny, a testament to the otherness of the place, regardless of the weather outside. Just up the hall, in the dark, cramped front rooms, Hakuryuu could hear the downpour he'd walked through to bring Zagan his groceries pounding against the windows. 

"Welcome back, Hakuryuu," Zagan said with a smile. "You know where things go."

"Right." Hakuryuu took the bags over to the counter and started to unload them. A bag of dollar-store plastic dinosaurs came first, and he ripped the bag open, tossing the tiny, scientifically inaccurate dinosaurs to the lounging faeries at Zagan's feet. They squawked and trilled in joy, snatching up their presents. That done, he pulled out a box of cereal and the plastic cereal pour tub.

Zagan laughed. "So how is your new roommate working out?"

Hakuryuu paused opening the box, thinking. "Well… he leaves his clothes all over the living room." He ripped the interior bag open the rest of the way and poured it in. "And he can't feed himself. I have to leave things pre-made in the fridge if I'm going out, or he just lazes around all day until I get home, and then he complains that I'm _starving_ him!" He dropped the empty bag into the trash and collapsed the cardboard box, tossing that into the recycling bin. "But he's not all bad. He's more clever than I gave him credit for." Hakuryuu closed the pour spout on the bin and slid it into place with Zagan's other jars and vases. Crunch Berries in a tupperware pour tub looked remarkably odd next to a jar of dried wormroot.

Zagan hmm'ed and stretched, closing his eyes and enjoying the sun like a contented cat. "Are you going to let him know about your little mission?"

Hakuryuu coughed. "I may have. Already done that."

Zagan burst out laughing, and a cacophonous chorus of lesser fae joined in from around his feet. "I hadn't expected you to trust him so quickly."

Hakuryuu shoved Zagan's cheese in a can into the cupboard. "He's been living with me for a little while, now, Zagan. And he saw _you_. I didn't have much choice after that."

"Well you had the choice to kill him."

Hakuryuu sighed and opened a drawer, throwing Zagan's ziplock bags inside it. "Maybe I decided I wanted some help. Or perhaps I just. Perhaps I'm just getting tired of living alone all the time." That made Zagan's snickering quiet for long enough that Hakuryuu turned around to see Zagan staring at him with an oddly thoughtful look on his face. "He's clever and useful, despite all those faults," he explained softly, somewhat awkward. "It's nice to have someone else around the house." 

Hakuryuu put the rest of Zagan's groceries away in silence, enjoying the warmth of the kitchen and letting Zagan work on his beading project in peace. When he was done, he folded up the reusable bag and put it under the counter. "Well, I still need to get rid of the dead body in my bathtub, so I've got to get going."

"Thank you again for the groceries."

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes. "Don't mention it."

"Then I won't." Zagan grinned and finally rose, walking over to the wastebasket by the back door. "Before you go, I have one more thing to ask of you, Hakuryuu…"

"Take out the trash?" Hakuryuu guessed, only a little sarcastic.

"Close, but no." He plucked the bag from the bin and tied it shut before Hakuryuu could see inside. "Take this and bury it, and not today- this weather's no good. Do it on a good day, a warm one with plenty of sun, and _during_ the day as well, if you don't mind." 

Hakuryuu carefully took the lumpy bag from Zagan. It was a bit heavier than he'd expected. "Does it matter where?"

"I was thinking the park," Zagan said in an airy voice that meant Hakuryuu would bury it in the park or risk having his fingernails ripped out. "It'll help you later."

Hakuryuu nodded and said nothing more than, "It shall be done." There was no point in arguing, or asking what was in it, or how it would be helpful. Tasks were tasks, and it wasn't his place to question Zagan's whim. Not to his face, at least. He took the bag and headed back to the foyer, putting on his coat and tucking the bag beneath it to protect it from the rain.

"Hakuryuu," Zagan called, and Hakuryuu paused at the door. Zagan's hand, comforting and familiar in its size and magical thrum, cupped his cheek, turning Hakuryuu's face back towards him. "Do be careful."

Hakuryuu scowled fondly at him. "You always tell me that."

"Because you've chosen a dangerous life." Zagan's hand trailed down Hakuryuu's face to his throat, then down over collarbones and chest to rest over his heart. "And I'm rather fond of you." He bowed his head down and kissed Hakuryuu's forehead. "Keep your eyes open, and your mind sharp. I didn't choose to help you for no reason. You'll do fine." 

Hakuryuu laid his hand over Zagan's softly, but then decided to lift the hand off him instead. Zagan's affection felt odd after all this time living on his own. "Of course I will."

Zagan laughed and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "Well, send my best to your little friend." Hakuryuu grunted, shoving his feet back into his rain boots and grabbing his umbrella. "Stay dry."

* * *

Hakuryuu stared in horror at his kitchen. He was used to coming home to it being a mess- Judal never picked up after himself- but nothing like this. The tablecloth was splattered with blood, and he saw a trail of more leading out of the room and into the hall. What in the hell had Judal done to the place? He glared at the blood, wondering what else that inconsiderate, capering manchild had done while he was gone when a dark and terrible thought came upon him. 

He thought of the lockbox under his bed, full of stolen Al Tharman documents, and of the bathtub, full of dead Al Tharman cultist, and his blood ran cold. His eyes slowly followed the trail of blood as his mind counted through all the terrible possibilities. His body followed his eyes, slow and dreamlike as a sleepwalker. There was a smear of blood on the back of the couch that nearly looked like a handprint. Poor Judal, he'd had no stake in this save his own misplaced curiosity. Hakuryuu almost pitied him.

Just as Hakuryuu was about to round the corner to the hall, there came a slam from the bathroom, and Hakuryuu snapped from his trance. Stupid! He pressed against the wall, assessing his options. Someone or some _thing_ was still in his house, still searching for something. Had the intruder heard him enter? Probably not, they would have confronted him by now. Seconds rapidly melted away- he needed to act. 

Hakuryuu dropped the magic masking his arm, flexing the wooden joints. He would make it quick- choke them or wilt them with his hand, and assess the damage to his plans afterwards. He reached out with magic, and he could feel the pull of rot & decay from the bathroom, and the pulse of pure power from Zagan's package, still sitting on the bloody kitchen table, and from the bathroom-

"Hey, Hakuryuu, is that you?" Judal called, wandering out into view. 

Hakuryuu wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream. The sight of Judal, all in one piece, filled him with more relief than he would have expected, even if he was covered in blood and eating something unidentifiable. 

"What happened?" Hakuryuu demanded, looking Judal up and down.

Judal looked confused, then understanding. "Ah! Yeah. Sorry about the mess. I got sorta hungry."

Hakuryuu's brow knit in frustration. "That answers none of my questions. What happened?! Did someone break in?" His relief was fading fast, and panic for his plans bubbled back up to replace it.

"What? No, course not." Judal laughed and took a bite of whatever it was he had clenched in his hand. It left his mouth a grimy, dark red smear. "Anyway, I'll clean up when I'm done."

Pieces slowly fell into place as Hakuryuu watched Judal rip bites from the lump of bloody flesh clenched in his fist. Hakuryuu's stomach turned for an entirely different reason.

"I left you food!" Hakuryuu shouted.

Judal started at the outburst. "Wha-"

"You barely eat anything! You complained the other night when I made curry because it was too spicy!"

"Well that's cuz-" 

"No!" Hakuryuu shook his head slowly. "No, I don't want to hear how my beautifully prepared meals are inferior to a day old…" A new level of horror entered into the equation, and Hakuryuu's stomach twisted with renewed vigor. "No! Do you know how disgusting that is? It isn't food safe! You shouldn't eat meat that's been sitting out for more than two hours, let alone the corpse of some filthy cultist that's been laying around rotting all day! It's revolting! It's unsanitary!" 

Judal held up his hands defensively and backed away. "Hey, hey now, you're not really gonna ape on how _unsanitary_ it is when I'm literally eating human fle- wait, no, I don't have any answers for that eith-"

"Of course I'm going to be upset about how unsanitary it is! You're going to get food poisoning, or salmonella, or prions, or- it's just disgusting!" Hakuryuu took a few deep breaths. He couldn't look at Judal's blood-covered, guilty face a moment longer. The house around him offered little solace though, and he found himself hung up on the bloody trail staining his carpet. It had been immaculate until now. He'd worked so hard to keep it free of mud and debris, and now there was blood in it. How had he made this much of a mess? "I'm never going to get my security deposit back…" he moaned.

Judal scarfed down the last of his morsel and wiped his hands on his pants. "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya…." He moved behind Hakuryuu and gently guided him to the couch, despite Hakuryuu's rapidly weakening protestations. "It's gross, the carpet's ruined, whatever. No need to be a big baby about it…" 

Hakuryuu sat reluctantly down on the couch, scooting away from the blood smear. "You're cleaning this up."

"I guess I can do that." 

"Oh, you guess." Hakuryuu crossed his arms. "And change out of those clothes. You look disgusting."

Judal glanced down at himself and struck a pose. "I dunno, I think the blood-covered look suits me." 

The look Hakuryuu shot Judal could have frozen the Sahara. "Not when I know it's disgusting day-old corpse blood."

Judal laughed and shrugged, pulling fresh clothes from his bag and going off to change. Hakuryuu stared up at the ceiling. Perhaps he'd been wrong at Zagan's. Judal was a pest. And, apparently, a casual cannibal. He could hear him humming in the bathroom as he changed, as though this wasn't horrifying. Hakuryuu ground the heels of his palms into his eye sockets and groaned again.

Judal returned, unbloodied and still humming. He glanced at Hakuryuu a moment, but when Hakuryuu didn't greet him or remove his hands from his face, Judal simply shrugged and busied himself in the kitchen to search for cleaning supplies. "Can you clean carpets with Windex?" he wondered aloud. Hakuryuu ground his palms into his eyes harder. 

"There's a bottle of Resolve in the back of the cabinet under the sink." 

"Oh. Sweet!" Judal retrieved it. "It's a pity that dude's dead. I heard that like. People's own spit is the best for cleaning blood." 

Hakuryuu lifted one hand off his face to peer skeptically at Judal. "You know the most bizarre trivia." 

Judal just shrugged in response. To his credit, he actually did get down on his hands and knees and scrub out the carpet. As Hakuryuu sat on the couch and ordered Judal about, his annoyance faded away. Correcting Judal's technique and telling him what to use on the walls brought a small smile of satisfaction back to his face. When he was done, Judal popped a squat in front of the couch and stared up at Hakuryuu.

"This look good for now?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I suppose it will do for now." Hakuryuu shook his head, laughing a little. "I still can't believe you would eat a dead body. You don't even like vegetables."

Judal blew a raspberry back at him. "That's cuz vegetables are disgusting. The texture's weird, they smell funny-"

"And a corpse doesn't?" 

Judal pouted. "What, like you've never wondered what people taste like?"

"Never." 

"Never?"

"Never." Hakuryuu repeated.

Judal looked almost impressed, as though casually contemplating cannibalism was such a natural and human thing that Hakuryuu's abstention left him stunned. "Wow." And then he shrugged, all his awe was replaced with his usual impenetrable grin. "Wasn't as good as I'd been hoping it would be, though. Probably because he'd been sitting out for- well, you know." 

Then it was Hakuryuu's turn to grin, vindicated that Judal's poor food handling choices had lead him to an unsatisfactory snack. "Good." Hakuryuu got up from the couch to retrieve a trashbag from the kitchen. "I hope that means you're done making messes of my house."

"Yeah, for now." Judal hopped up from the floor as Hakuryuu passed, following on his heels. "Guys like that are trash, so it makes sense they'd taste like it, too." A shiver went up Hakuryuu's spine. There was something creeping into Judal's tone like the night they'd met- lazy, predatory menace that didn't need an outright threat to make the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "I bet you'd taste a lot sweeter, though." 

Hakuryuu's breath caught in his throat. Right. Most people don't just laugh off the annoyance of the mess a cannibal makes. He looked back to snap or threaten, something to retaliate, but Judal just smiled back when their eyes met, casual and cat-like. "Don't- don't say such ridiculous things, Judal." Hakuryuu hated the choke in his voice. 

Judal laughed. "I don't say anything but ridiculous things though!" 

Hakuryuu squared his shoulders. "Well, you've got poor taste in jokes." Judal laughed. "Oh, laugh all you want," Hakuryuu opened the bathroom door with one hand, "but you're not done cleaning yet." The look on Judal's face as Hakuryuu shoved the trash bag into his hands was priceless. He wished he could capture it in his heart and mind forever. "You've gone and made a mess of him, so now you get to be the one to bag him up."

Judal snatched the bag and shoved past Hakuryuu. "You're a fucking jerk."

* * *

The yawning gloom of the forest swallowed up the car as Hakuryuu drove them up out of the city into the mountainous woods. Judal leaned his forehead on the window, watching the trees blur past as they drove further and further away from civilization and the hum of humanity. "Almost nostalgic being back out here, burying corpses together like a family." He flicked his eyes over to Hakuryuu.

"We are not family," Hakuryuu said, but he had the smallest smile on his face anyway. The car crunched to a halt. "We are, however, here." He opened the door, walking slowly away from the car to take a moment to just _breathe_ and go back to a time before. He could hear Judal getting out of the car, grumbling about how mean Hakuryuu was, pulling the trash bag full of corpse out of the back seat. The earth pulsed around him, same as ever, but this time he was not alone and dwarfed. The wild pressed against his skull, breathed around him with magic so primal he could feel it in his bones, but with Judal's unending stream of brain vomit, it was impossible to be totally lost. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. 

"So now what?" Judal said, body and shovels removed from Hakuryuu's second-hand compact car. "We dig?" 

Hakuryuu turned back, walking over to take a shovel from Judal. "No. First we walk." He smiled. "Then we dig." 

Judal grinned and followed along. "So…. Come here often?" 

Hakuryuu laughed a little. "I don't usually commit murders so close together, so no." 

"Hmm…" Judal adjusted his grip on the trashbag.

They followed a crunching path of leaves and brush away from the car and further up the hilly mountainside. After about twenty minutes of walking, Judal started to complain of the trash bag's weight, so they traded burdens and Judal was left to carry both shovels. A little while after that, Hakuryuu held up a hand.

"Here?" Judal asked, looking around. "Is this where I met you the first time?"

"No." Hakuryuu looked at him as though he was a bit dim. "We were in a completely different part of the woods. I'm not going to dump corpses that close to each other." 

"Even if you insta-rot most of 'em?" 

Hakuryuu laughed. "Just start digging." He stomped the blade of his shovel into the ground and scooped out the first load. Judal made no move to help, instead leaning on his shovel and watching. Hakuryuu rolled his eyes and stomped a second shovelful of earth out. "And I was… well, I don't always rot them. It's a little exhausting, and it makes my arm feel… odd." 

Judal quirked an eyebrow. "Working black magic with your faerie gift make you feel all sad and tingly?" 

"No, just odd." Hakuryuu unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up his arms. The mountain air and shade were cooler than the city's swelter, but it was still late summer, and digging holes was sweating work. "It makes my arm feel more detached. And it makes my phantom pains worse later." 

"I see…" Judal said. He hopped up, one footed, on his shovel, as though he was trying to balance on it, then wobbled off. "So even though you have a magic arm it still hurts?" 

Hakuryuu nodded. "I did still have almost half my arm removed. So yes, I get phantom pains sometimes. Or itches. Those are worse." 

"Mmmm… My left nipple does that sometimes." Judal attempted to balance on the shovel again. "So how'd you lose the arm?" 

"Wouldn't you like to know," Hakuryuu grunted, tossing more dirt aside. "Maybe I just got hungry."

"Ew."

Hakuryuu paused and gave Judal a look. "Really? After what you did this afternoon?" Judal blew a raspberry at him. Hakuryuu replied by tossing the next load of dirt in his direction. "And what happened to, 'let's work together,' huh?"

"I'm helping!" Judal danced out of the way of the dirt. "I'm providing moral support!" 

"I'd prefer some physical support, honestly." 

Judal rolled his eyes and pranced off to ring the circle of their little area. Hakuryuu's good hand was starting to get the pleasant rawness of hard labor, and he wondered how long it would be until it got calloused from all this shallow grave digging. In spite of his complaints, it was rather pleasant to have Judal's company. His capering and chatter made the work go quickly, just the two of them in the peaceful wood. Satisfied when the hole was large enough to accommodate the corpse, Hakuryuu braced against the odor and dumped the trash bag out. Just another disgusting corpse, like so many before it. Save the hunk missing out of it. 

The morbid detail made Hakuryuu smile a bit. 

He reached into his pocket and tossed a fistful of grape holly seeds, gathered from an earlier trip through the woods and now redistributed here, onto the body. In a year or two, they'd probably be a nice addition to the underbrush. He shoveled the dirt back over the hole and gently patted it down when it was all replaced. Death and rebirth all in one fell swoop. 

Judal had seated himself in a tree at some point and now was watching Hakuryuu with his head tilted to one side like a curious bird. "All done?" 

"Yes." Hakuryuu started back towards the car, trash bag balled up in one hand. "If it's nice out tomorrow we have another errand we'll have to run. Something for Zagan." There was a soft sound behind him of Judal dropping back down to the ground and loping back to Hakuryuu's side. Hakuryuu could tell by his still tilted head that he wanted to know more. "We have to bury something in the park during broad daylight. So I'll need you to help me keep watch so we don't get yelled at."

Judal nodded. "I can do that. As I've proved today, I'm an excellent lookout." 

"Oh, is that what you were doing?" He gently punched Judal in the shoulder, and Judal laughed.

"Yes. Now, what are we doing for dinner?"


	7. All the World Seems in Tune

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter this time around, but the next three are going to be quite the roller coaster, so I'm eager to get us to the good stuff! Lots of exciting twists and turns ahead, but for now, enjoy!

"Today looks like it's gonna be nice." 

Hakuryuu looked over the back of couch to see Judal leaning over the kitchen sink and squinting up at the thin sliver of sky visible out of the window. His apartment and the apartment building across from it were barely a car's width apart, so it was often hard to tell what the weather would be like. "I guess I'll have to take your word for it, since I can't tell from here." Today had had a leisurely start, and Hakuryuu was rather content to sit on the couch and read his book.

"Yeah. Looks sunny!" Judal pulled his head back in through the window and shut it with a grin. 

"Well then in that case we should put on proper clothes and go do that task for Zagan." Hakuryuu sighed and set his book down. Duty called. He pulled himself up and left the room to change. Sunny meant shorter sleeves, digging meant clothes he didn't mind soiling. He was unsurprised when he returned to find Judal dressed just the same as before. The limits of Judal's wardrobe- a few, largely similar pairs loose black pants, a small collection of crop tops and graphic tees, and his worn black hoodie- had become apparent to Hakuryuu by now, and he wondered how long Judal intended to freeload with nothing to his name. More than that, he wondered how long he intended to let it happen. 

Judal bounced to the door like an excitable pet dog and snatched the sack up. "Let's go, Hakuryuu." 

Hakuryuu grabbed his own bag, shoving a spade in. "Yeah." 

Judal held the door open for Hakuryuu and followed close at his heels as they went down the hall and into the elevator. Outside, the sun shone with a harsh glare that bore into Hakuryuu's head like a drill. It was indeed a fine day for mysterious fae gift burials. To the west, dark rain clouds hung, threatening to blow the rest of the way in and ruin the sunshine by the end of the day. Hakuryuu glanced at the bag in Judal's hand, hoping they'd have enough time to bury the contents.

"Funky lookin' weather," Judal said, gesturing to the sky. "But, sunny for now, yeah?"

"Here's hoping it doesn't change," Hakuryuu replied warmly. 

The park wasn't far from Hakuryuu's apartment, so they walked, rather than give up Hakuryuu's well-won spot in the garage below the building. Judal took up humming pretty quickly, but what he was humming was lost on Hakuryuu. The good weather had brought out dogs and couples with young kids, but thankfully mid-day on a weekday wasn't the busiest time. Hakuryuu lead them to a quiet corner, partially shielded from view by large hedges.

"You keep watch," he told Judal, unpacking his shovel. "I'll take care of this." 

Judal groaned. "Aww man, guard duty again?" He made a great show of turning away to watch for people. 

"I'm sure you'll find a way to slack off."

Judal blew a raspberry at him and harrumphed. Hakuryuu ignored it. He was going to sulk, no matter what. Work would make him whine, guarding was apparently too boring… There was just no pleasing Judal. Hakuryuu knelt down, getting comfortable as he felt for a good place to dig. The on and off rain of the past few weeks had left the ground soft, so it wasn't hard to do. Behind him, Judal attempted to subtly turn around to peek at what was in the bag. Unfortunately, Judal was about as subtle as a brick through a window, and Hakuryuu had to fight a smile as he watched Judal twist acrobatically from the corner of his eye. Judal looked ridiculous with his torso twisted to peek while the rest of him still faced out to "stand guard" on the park. Hakuryuu slowly undid the pale green rope, and as he did, he could feel powerful enchantments of warding fall away. 

He shuddered. 

Cautiously, Hakuryuu opened the bag the rest of the way an peeked inside. The smell of blood and flesh smacked him back to yesterday and the mess he'd come home to. Corpse parts. Hakuryuu clutched the bag shut and bolted upright, certain someone else would have seen.

"What, what?" Judal said, stumbling backwards to avoid being struck when Hakuryuu jolted up. "What was in it, I couldn't see!"

"We absolutely cannot bury this here." Hakuryuu shook his head. "What was Zagan thinking, is he mad-" Judal opened his mouth with some smart-assed remark, and Hakuryuu shot him down with a look. "Don't answer that. Of course he is. But this?" 

"Yeah, I still don't know what 'this' is." Judal snatched the bag out of Hakuryuu's hands and peeked in. 

"Hey!" Hakuryuu lunged to try and take it back. "Judal-"

Judal easily danced out of the way and peeked inside. The gruesome contents made him burst into riotous laughter. "Oh god, that's rich!" He pulled out a forearm and waved it at Hakuryuu. "Hey, look, look! Is this one yours? He must be giving it back!"

The color drained from Hakuryuu's face, and his stomach twisted in horror. "Judal! Put that-"

Judal flopped down on the ground and started pulling more out of the bag. Some fingers, a foot, a couple bones of varying sizes… Hakuryuu could feel himself getting a headache from the horror. He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I swear to god, if you eat any of that I'm going to kill you."

Judal stuck his tongue out. “I’m not gonna eat any of it! Jeez, you eat a dead body once…” He upended the bag and dumped out the rest. "Look, you obviously are too wimpy to do this so gimme that shovel." He groped across the ground to grab the spade and began digging in the loose earth. 

Hakuryuu sighed in exasperation and knelt back down beside him. "Zagan told me to bury them… He might get upset if I let you do it."

"Well that's lame!" Judal waved the spade. "How about this, I dig the hole and stick the copse bits in, and you cover 'em up. That's like, the actual burying part."

Hakuryuu thought it over for a bit and then nodded. "All right." He sat back against the bush, giving up on standing watch. How would they quickly cover something like this up? He closed his eyes, and enjoyed the feeling of the warm sun on his face. Judal was humming again, and Hakuryuu clumsily attempted to join in, a half note behind each of Judal's. Judal hummed louder in response, proudly leading their discordant little ditty. 

"Let's put them in together," Judal said, breaking off the song. Hakuryuu opened his eyes and looked at Judal. "It feels like you should at least have a hand in that part, I guess." Judal feigned nonchalance, but Hakuryuu didn't miss the way his hand lingered on a disembodied hand, as though feeling the magical imperatives woven within. 

Hakuryuu nodded, choosing not to comment. "That sounds like a good plan." He put his hand over Judal's, and together they laid each piece into the hole Judal had dug. Judal's fingers brushed against his, or ended up clutched beneath his hand as they placed hands and arms and fingers and bones, a thrum of contract and promise tingling up their arms. He hoped he wasn't signing Judal up for some dreadful thing that Zagan had planned, but it was too late now. Hakuryuu pushed the dirt back into the hole, packing it down with his bare hands until it was almost level. They sat in reverent silence, staring at the spot.

"Should I toss some grass on top to make it look more natural?" Judal joked to break the silence. Hakuryuu shoved him. 

"Yes, Judal, I'm sure some displaced grass will definitely make this not look like someone dug a hole here."

Judal ripped up some grass with his hand and sprinkled it over the spot. "Flawless."

Hakuryuu chuckled at the completely insufficient covering. "Ah yes, now no one will ever know. Should I toss some grass on us too to make us invisible?" 

Judal laughed back. "We'll be like ninjas!" He hopped to his feet, and Hakuryuu took the hand he offered. Judal set the pace this time, leading the way back down the street to their apartment. No, _the_ apartment. Not theirs. Hakuryuu shook his head, looking across the street. Judal was getting to his head.

That's when he saw him. It was a face he recognized well from his stolen documents: Ithnan, one of Al Tharman's most important agents. Hakuryuu froze, studying Ithnan's goatee and sharp eyes. He seemed distracted, consulting a phone in his hand and occasionally glancing up at street signs. Hakuryuu felt his heart race as he stared. This was a fantastic opportunity. 

Judal paused and walked backwards to again be beside Hakuryuu. "Hey, what's up."

Hakuryuu pointed subtly. "Across the street. That's Ithnan, one of Al Tharman's higher ups." He looked over at Judal with sly smile. "I think we've got one more job to do before heading home."

Judal froze at his side. "I. Shit!" He followed Hakuryuu's gaze to stare at Ithnan across the way. "I should probably split then, yeah?"

The response surprised him. Hakuryuu laughed and glanced sidelong at him. "What, don't tell me you're afraid of some little Al Tharman goon." 

"Well you know him by name, I think that's a sign that he's pretty bad news!" Judal shook his head. "Besides, I'm so obvious and memorable looking. I'll just complicate shit if I'm there." 

Hakuryuu opened his mouth like he wanted to protest; the thought of having Judal there as backup seemed reassuring. But he was right- he was a very noticable man. Ithnan was dangerous, and surprise would be necessary. "I suppose you should go." He swallowed and flexed his hand. "I'll take care of this."


	8. What Ithnan Knew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ithnan reveals an unpleasant surprise.

"I'm tired of your riddles, Ithnan," Hakuryuu snarled, plunging his knife into Ithnan's side. Blood sprung up around the blade, staining Ithnan's shirt and trickling into the bathtub. "I don't need a refresher on the entire scripture of Al Tharman's twisted little religion. Now talk." 

Ithnan hissed in pain, his eyes fluttering, but he didn't cave. "And lo, was the liar-king revealed by the light of the god he had slain. And Il Illah, in his dark glory, descended upon the world to cleanse-" 

"Shut up." Hakuryuu yanked the knife out, contemplating his options. He'd been at this for the better part of the afternoon and nothing, nothing but scripture and bullshit. Ithnan lived up to his position of power. Hakuryuu shook his head to clear his mind. 

Ithnan laughed, cracking his eyes open again. "Talk, shut up, talk, shut up. You seem confused, Hakuryuu." 

Hakuryuu hissed. "I want answers."

Ithnan leaned his head back. "Answers? Well, why didn't you say so." He smiled at Hakuryuu through the pain. "Our Father has all the answers. Simply ask of him forgiveness, and he'll give you so many answers your little head will explode. Barring that, you could just embrace your place as an insignificant worm with no real bearing on the affairs of Al Tharman and find meaning in your own worthlessness." 

"Why are you here?" Hakuryuu demanded for what felt like the thousandth time, shaking Ithnan. 

"You know, I never would have expected tiny little crybaby Hakuryuu, the most pathetic of all Lady Gyokuen's vile little crotch droppings, would be the one behind all these deaths."

Hakuryuu felt a catch of hope. "Is that why you're here? To find me? Or, rather, to find the one who's behind all the killings?" The thought that his crusade had caught Al Tharman's attention was terrifying and a little exciting. If it were true… Well, perhaps he was making a difference. 

Ithnan shook his head, chuckling. "Why should Lady Gyokuen care if a bunch of insignificant pawns are dying? We've noticed, but that's not why I'm here." He took a deep breath. "Where was I… Ah… Yes, Il Illah, in his dark glory-"

Hakuryuu struck Ithnan so hard his nose shattered. "I'd cut your tongue out just to shut up your damnable sermons."

"Ah, but I wouldn't be much use to you then, would I?" Ithnan somehow found the strength to smirk at Hakuryuu. Admirable, given how much his nose was bleeding now. "But I'm being unkind. You might be a bad host, but you're still Gyokuen's son. Here, I'll give you a hint. Just, hah… It's something that must be whispered. You understand?"

Hakuryuu weighed his options. He didn't trust Ithnan any further than he could throw him, but like this, he probably couldn't do _too_ much damage. He slowly leaned forward so he could hear Ithnan's secrets.

Ithnan spat in Hakuryuu's eye. "Your mom says I'm a better fuck." 

Hakuryuu reeled back, wiping the spit from his eye. "Augh! You-" He took a deep breath to steady himself. "You'll regret that." 

"Oh, I look forward to it," Ithnan chuckled, settling into his bonds.

Hakuryuu turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. As expected, Ithnan was a tough nut to crack. He leaned against the bathroom door with a sigh, his head hitting the wood with a soft thump. He'd wash his face off, then get right back to the work. There was no time for lollygagging. He forced himself to stand up straight again and strode into the living room.

"He still not talking?" Judal asked, looking up from the comic he'd been leafing through. He looked enviably cozy. 

Hakuryuu shook his head. "No. Just nonsense and dogma. But he knows something." He scrubbed his face with his hands. "I can tell. He's got something to hide." 

Judal set his comic down and sat up more, his brow creasing. "Take a seat, get a load off. I'm sure the suspense will do the bastard good." Hakuryuu hesitated a second, but the emotional exhaustion won out and he joined Judal on the couch. Judal grinned, giving his shoulder a squeeze and getting up. Hakuryuu followed him with his eyes, eyebrows raised in question, but Judal waved it away. "Just relax."

Hakuryuu watched him go back into the kitchen before returning his gaze forward. "If you pull any corpse parts out of there, I will punch you in the teeth." Judal's laugh barked in reply. "I'm serious," Hakuryuu laughed. He could hear Judal puttering about, and he forced himself not to worry too much. Ithnan would break. They always did. Or their bodies broke, and they died, which was almost as good really. And Judal had a point- nothing makes a man break like time, like nerves, like uncertainty.

The uncertainty of his own life had nearly broken him, once upon a time. 

Judal returned from the kitchen with two tall glasses of lemonade. "For you," he said, handing one off to Hakuryuu and flopping back down on the couch next to him. A little sloshed off the side of his own cup, splatting on the couch.

"Clumsy," Hakuryuu teased, taking a sip from the glass. It tasted fresh and clear, and he took another gulping sip. "I was thirsty." 

"You sound surprised," Judal laughed. Hakuryuu elbowed him with a good hearted smile and grabbed his comic from him. "Hey! I was reading that!" 

"I'm relaxing now," Hakuryuu teased. "You can have it back when I'm done with my break." 

Judal made a face and stuck out his tongue. "Fine!" He kicked his feet up into Hakuryuu's lap and let him keep the comic while he drank his lemonade. Outside, another rain shower started up, plinking against the glass. Judal cocked his head to the side, listening. "Damn. I was hoping the rain would stay away."

Hakuryuu hmmed and shrugged. It wasn't too troubling to him. The sound of the rain washed them in a quiet, comforting hum, and it felt almost like a normal, regular afternoon if he ignored the groans of pain and shouted obscenities coming from the bathroom. The lemonade was good. He really hadn't realized how thirsty he was, and the sugary sweetness of it provided _something_ he'd been missing. He lifted his wooden arm and looked at it critically. "What, am I not photosynthesizing enough for you?" Judal snickered next to him, and Hakuryuu smiled a little in triumph, pleased to get a reaction from him. 

"Maybe you should grow some flowers out of it. Never have to buy a corsage again." 

"I think I'm a little old for prom," Hakuryuu said, rolling his eyes with a smile. "And it might be a little horrifying when it's disguised- a flower just twisting out of my flesh?" It made Hakuryuu think of Zagan's house, his magic. 

"Hot." 

"You're so weird." Hakuryuu gently swatted Judal's leg with the comic. Judal retaliated by aggressively making his legs more comfortable in Hakuryuu's lap, but Hakuryuu couldn't find it in him to mind all that much. He sipped his lemonade and caressed Judal's leg absently, enjoying the sound of the rain and his pilfered comic. The end of the glass came all too soon, and he stared at it like it was a personal affront. He wanted Ithnan's info, but he was comfortable, dammit!

Judal laughed and hopped back to his feet, taking Hakuryuu's glass and refilling it without being asked. He took his time with the second glass, but it too seemed to be over too quick.

"Ugh… I should probably get back to work." Hakuryuu drained the end of his glass and pushed Judal's legs off his lap to stand up. "Thanks, though, for the drink, and for making me rest." 

"Of course." Judal followed him about halfway back across the room. He caught Hakuryuu's hand, and Hakuryuu turned, staring. "I worry about you, you know? We're. Friends now. And I…" His thumb rubbed gently on Hakuryuu's hand, and Hakuryuu found himself intensely aware of the tender silence between each word. Judal opened his mouth as though to say something, but then he shut it into a cheeky grin and pulled his hand away, clapping Hakuryuu on the shoulder. "Well! Knock 'em dead! Literally!"

Hakuryuu swallowed a lump of unexpected disappointment. "Of course." He felt like he should say something, do something, but whatever moment had almost happened was closed by Judal's cheeky smile. He pulled his hand back and turned, disappearing into the bathroom.

On the other side of that door, he was another man. He slammed the door, channeling all his frustration into anger and taking long angry strides to Ithnan. He grabbed Ithnan by the front of his shirt and yanked him up so their faces were nearly touching.

"Why did you come here, Ithnan," he demanded, "and no bullshit this time." He twisted his free hand to reveal a few wisping bits of plant matter. "Unless you want me to turn you into my personal window planter." 

Ithnan laughed. "You know, when you're this angry you almost look like your mother." Hakuryuu drew in an enraged, hissing breath, but it just made Ithnan laugh more. "I'm far more afraid of Gyokuen than I am of you, though. Our Father has plans you cannot even imagine, and the wheels are already in motion. You can't stop them."

Hakuryuu scowled and pressed the tiny sprigs of green into a deep cut on Ithnan's chest. "If that's the case, then you're a fool for not telling me." The magic twinged happily in the dark, wet redness of the wound, vines and roots burrowing, searching, twisting through Ithnan's flesh with malicious glee. He groaned in pain, thrashed away from Hakuryuu's touch. "Either that… or your lack faith that your plans are as bulletproof as you say." Hakuryuu considered his false hand, feigning disinterest in his captive to instead watch his fingers thread through the air and work the magic. Ithnan screamed as something vital was pierced by cloying roots. "Why did my mother send you here."

"Go to hell!" Ithnan spat before being overcome by another agonized scream. 

Hakuryuu clenched his fist, and the plants within Ithnan wrapped whatever it was that had made him scream in their tight embrace. Ithnan's scream cut off into a harsh, bloody sob of agony. Hakuryuu smiled. "Living with Al Tharman was hell enough. I don't think I'll be going anywhere."

"She sent me to find someone!" Ithnan barked out roughly. "Not you! She doesn't give a shit where you went!" 

"Who did she send you to find?"

"Go fuck yourself."

Hakuryuu hrmmed, inspecting a scuff in the wood. He should get that buffed out. Zagan would probably be pleased to see him keeping the hand all shiny and nice. As if only just remembering, he made another vague gesture, and the roots within Ithnan drank deep of his warmth and life. The small plant in his chest burst into beautiful, blood-tinted blooms, splitting the wound open even wider. "Who did she send you to find?"

"The Black Sun!" Ithnan finally confessed, tears of pain streaking his face. "She sent me here to find a rogue operative known as The Black Sun." Hakuryuu finally looked back at Ithnan to admire his handiwork, and only the glimmer in his eyes revealed his excitement about this new information, this new name. Hakuryuu ran a hand over the flowers bursting from Ithnan's chest, his fingers tracing down their stalks to rub along the wound. Ithnan whined in pain, his breathing hitching at the touch. "He-he's one of our most powerful operatives. A true servant of Al Tharman. Except that he ran away. She sent me to bring him back because-because our plans can't go forward without him." 

"Why can't they go forward without him?" Hakuryuu pressed against the wound, and Ithnan screamed, throwing his head back against the wall. Below Ithnan's flesh, Hakuryuu could see more sprigs of plants working and traveling up Ithnan's throat, threatening to burst through. "Why is this 'Black Sun' so important?"

"If you stopped that, I might have told you, but now?" Ithnan threw his head against the wall again, smacking himself to silence with a different pain. "Fuck you."

"I can make you talk." Hakuryuu sneered, and a green, new bloom pushed through the skin of Ithnan's jaw. He hissed in pain, but said nothing. "Don't think I can't make this worse." 

Hakuryuu picked his knife up from the ground and plunged it into Ithnan's arm, twisting it to open the wound to a jagged, ragged thing perfect for pushing more plants and seeds into. Yet Ithnan still said nothing as more greenery and wounds marred his flesh. Hakuryuu threw the knife down, and it caught Ithnan's cheek before clattering to the bottom of the tub. 

"Dammit!" he swore, getting up to pace again. "Damn it all." He took a few deep breaths, steadying himself. Focus. Every man breaks. As long as he didn't _kill_ Ithnan, he'd be able to get what he wanted. He turned and slowly crouched at eye level with Ithnan's smirking face. 

Ithnan's battered face quirked into a maddened little smile. "Hah... Hahahah!" He threw his head back. "Oh, Hakuryuu, go ahead and kill me! You've practically done it already!"

Hakuryuu's scowled. "I'm not finished with you yet. There's far, far worse I can still do." He leaned over Ithnan. "Now tell me, what is Al Tharman plot-"

"Al Tharman?" Ithnan laughed. "Oh, you can hunt us down all you want, scour the earth, torch every last one of us in sick vengeance for your precious family, but it won't change anything." 

Hakuryuu pulled back, disgusted. Rage-filled bile rose to the back of his throat at Ithnan's irksome allusions.

Ithnan shrugged his shoulder to wipe tears of laughter and pain from his eyes. When he met Hakuryuu's gaze again, he had sobered- his gaze steady and his smile mirthless. "No, you've killed me with laughter. You've let your death in by the front door." He leaned his head to look around Hakuryuu. "Hello, Judal. Lady Gyokuen says it's time for you to come home."

Hakuryuu whipped around, following Ithnan's gaze to see Judal standing in the doorway with a look of near terror. He had been so focused on Ithnan he hadn't even heard the door open. A guilty smile cracked Judal's face, and he shifted from foot to foot. "Hah… The crazy shit these cultists say, eh Hakuryuu?"

Hakuryuu felt sick with realization. Of course. Of course this was what it had been about all this time. Of course Judal was more than some vagrant ne'er do well. Of course he was some dog of his mother's, of Al Tharman's. Of course. Of course. Hakuryuu clenched his fist, and Ithnan died with a weak groan, rot bubbling in his wounds and plants choking out what could have been a scream. 

"Who are you?"


	9. Who are You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judal has a lot to answer for.

"Who are you?"

The question hung in the air like a knife, impossibly deadly and poised to come crashing down at any moment. Judal shifted from foot to foot, a nervous smile fixed on his face. Hakuryuu waited, his chest rising and falling with the measured breaths of a man ready to strike. Judal's face twitched with his smile, inscrutable save for guilt and fear.

"What do you mean, Hakuryuu?" he asked, voice wry and tight. "You know who I am."

"Do I?" Hakuryuu gathered power in his hand, feeling plants spring from the joints to curl, spring-loaded and ready to strike. The tiny things that lived in the air hummed their presence. 

Judal barked out a nervous laugh. "You don't really believe _him,"_ Judal gestured to Ithnan's corpse behind Hakuryuu, "over me, do you? I mean. We're friends, aren't we?"

"I believe the nervous look in your eye-"

Judal rolled his eyes, but the gesture was too big, too theatrical. Fake. "Come on, Hakuryuu, I just had some crazy cult guy accuse me of being one of his wack-job buddies, I think I'm allowed to be a little-"

"I believe the writing on the wall."

Judal put his palms out, entreating Hakuryuu for a chance. "Hakuryuu, listen, this is crazy talk-"

"No, you listen!" Hakuryuu shouted, and Judal went blessedly silent in fear, his hands curling up like withered leaves. "I was an idiot to believe you, to let you into my home. I trusted-" he stopped himself, reigning in this emotions. This lying snake didn't deserve them. "I should have followed my instincts. You know too much. About magic, about me…" He raised his hand.

"Hakuryuu please!" Judal backed up and raised his hands in defense. "Please! I'm-I'm unarmed."

"You're a liar is what you are." Hakuryuu flung his hand to the side and struck Judal from the doorframe into the wall with a wave of microbal monsters that dissipated. Judal's head made a satisfying noise as it bashed into the wall. Hakuryuu barely even winced.

Judal struggled up to a sitting position. It was obvious the blow had shaken him. "Hakuryuu," he croaked, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I swear. Gyokuen didn't send me."

"Oh, I know." Hakuryuu stared down at him like an insect. "But I'm going to find out who did." He kicked Judal hard in the head, and the world went black.

* * *

The room swam back into slow, fuzzy focus. Hands tied behind his back, feet tied to the legs of the chair, damn, Hakuryuu wasn't fucking around. But Judal expected that. He blinked his eyes a couple times to clear his vision and resisted the urge to groan. Fingering the smooth ropes at his wrist, he could tell they were either synthetic or very, very expensive. Either way, they didn't give an inch when he gave them a small, experimental tug. He could hear Hakuryuu in the kitchen. Getting something to torture him with? Fixing a snack? Judal would have been doing both if it was him. He squeezed his eyes shut against the ringing in his ears, finally letting out a groan.

Hakuryuu stopped whatever he'd been doing and strode into Judal's line of vision. Judal slowly lifted his head and forced his eyes open to stare at Hakuryuu, arms folded across his chest and his eyes hard as diamonds. God. What a sight. "Well. Are you going to talk?"

Judal tilted his head to the side, half in interest and half because it hurt too much to hold it up straight. "Come on, Hakuryuu, are we really gonna do this?" He tugged on his arms. "Like these knots are great and all, but I don't really see-"

Hakuryuu struck him with the back of his hand. "Don't play stupid with me, Judal. I know you're smarter than that. Are you going to be difficult?"

"When am I anything but?" Hakuryuu raised his wooden hand again but Judal shook his head. "Okay, okay! Geeze, didn't know you were so into this sort of thing, Hakuryuu." Judal turned his head and stared out the kitchen window, studying the distant brick of the apartment building across from them. The rain of earlier had slowed, and Judal could almost count the drops as they plunked against the window. The white noise of the drizzle harmonized well with the ringing in his ears. Their symphony was, in turn, a lovely counterpoint to the endless droning of guilt and terror in his mind. He shut his eyes, trying, desperately, to think of something else.

"Are you listening?" Hakuryuu barked, and Judal snapped to attention. Had there been something else said?

"Hm. Apparently not!" He gave Hakuryuu a cheeky grin. "What was that again?"

"I said, you're going to tell me exactly why you're here. Who sent you, what your purpose was, how you found me, who else knows where I am, everything." Hakuryuu didn't bother to hide his annoyance. "If you cooperate, I might kill you quickly."

Judal laughed. "Come on now, I'm too nice a job to rush." Hakuryuu raised his hand to strike him again and Judal shook his head. "But okay, okay. I'll. I'll cooperate. I'm really not trying to fuck you here, Hakuryuu, not like that at least." Another nervous laugh bubbled up out of his throat like bile.

Hakuryuu drew up another chair and sat before him, one leg kicked up over the other, waiting. Judal hated his own yearning as he stared at that hard face. He wished this was another, world, another life, a play where he had the answers that would make Hakuryuu break into stupid, foolish laughter, and the sitcom music would play while they forgave each other over a wacky misunderstanding. He could practically hear it in his head now, or maybe that was a concussion… Doo-dah-doo-doo….

Shit. He was getting distracted again.

"First things first," Judal said slowly, trying to keep his voice and his thoughts measured, "nobody sent me. You gotta believe me on that." 

"So you took it upon yourself to hunt me down?"

"Pfff!" Judal snickered and shook his head. "No, nobody sent me to you, not even me. If I meant that, I would have said that." Hakuryuu looked annoyed, but Judal soldiered on. "Naw, I ran away. From Al Tharman. Because I hate them." And at that, Judal laughed. If his legs had been free, he might have pulled them up cross-legged on the chair, or slung one over the other in mirror of Hakuryuu. "Seriously, Al Tharman suuuucks. D'you know, they wouldn't let me get a tattoo? And I'm only allowed to watch like an hour of tv a week! You can't watch a movie in an hour, like seriously." 

Judal could feel himself starting to babble, but honestly, the brain vomit was well worth it for the confused, annoyed crease between Hakuryuu's brows. Poor dude looked so fuckin' lost, and it was pretty adorable. Hakuryuu uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. 

"Are you insane?" he asked, incredulous. 

Judal laughed. "Probably, yeah. Haven't you said as much yourself?" His mouth wouldn't stop smiling, and he kind of hated it. "Was that your next big interrogation question?" 

Hakuryuu made a noise of aggravation and stood from his chair, prowling behind Judal. He carded his fingers through Judal's hair and then grabbed a fistful of it, yanking his head back. "Are you the Black Sun?" 

Judal licked his smiling lips nervously, trying to read something other than hate and frustration in Hakuryuu's face. He didn't find it. "Is there any answer that will satisfy you?" 

"Just answer the question." Like a magic trick, Hakuryuu's knife appeared in his hand. Or perhaps it had already been there. Judal squeezed his eyes shut. 

"Oh please, oh please, spare my hair. It's my pride and joy. I've never cut it in my life." He snickered until he felt the cool of the metal on his face. Ah. Not his hair he had to worry about. "Let me guess: Answer the question, Judal!" He cackled again until it died into a sigh. Somewhere in there, the knife bit into his cheek, and he felt the warm blood trickle down his face. "You're gonna ruin my beautiful face."

"I know that you're vain," Hakuryuu said, and Judal imagined he could hear a fond little smile in his voice. He didn't open his eyes, for fear of being disappointed if the smile wasn't there.

Nausea and unconsciousness pulled on the edges of Judal's mind, and he fought the sensation off by focusing on the sting of the cut in his cheek. It felt pretty shallow, despite the blood. Just a flesh wound. "Yes," he answered. "Yes, to both accusations. Yes, I am a vain fuck, I am in love with the sight of my own face, almost as much as I'm in love with the sight of my own hot ass, but beating out how much I am in love with the sound of my own voice. Yes, I am a vain bastard who will do a lot of shit to keep you from fucking up his pretty face, and, yes, I am…" Judal scrunched his face up and opened his eyes, rolling them up in search of answers. "What was that other thing you asked if I was?"

Hakuryuu spat each word out with perfect poison precision: "The Black Sun." 

"Ah." Judal swallowed. "Yeah. Yeah, that's me." 

Hakuryuu nodded, pulling the knife away from Judal's cheek and circling backwards, out of easy view. Judal heaved a sigh, and his head slumped forward again. He definitely had a concussion, he decided as he watched time slide through his fingertips. Hakuryuu opened his mouth, and all the sounds went soft again. It wasn't until Hakuryuu jerked his face up, thumb pressed into the cut on his cheek, that things focused again. 

"What did Ithnan mean when he said you were vital to their plans?" 

Judal shrugged. "Dunno." Hakuryuu pressed harder down on the cut, and Judal whimpered a little. "Ow! Fuck! I guess I'm pretty important since I'm like. One of their best guys at killing stuff!" 

Hakuryuu's other hand twirled the knife back into view, pressing it to Judal's throat. "But you're still not answering my question," he snarled, pressing the knife just hard enough into Judal's neck to draw blood. "You're still not telling me why you're so damn important to Al Tharman."

Judal laughed, because what else could he do? What else could he know? He was ten, twelve, five years old again, with no answers, a threat at his throat, and someone screaming for something he couldn't know. Hakuryuu's glare bored into his fucking skull, and he looked terrifyingly like his mother. Judal wondered how the hell he could have missed the resemblance until just now. He was real fuckin' stupid sometimes. 

"I don't know," he finally laughed. "I don't. I know your fucking bitch mom always said I was a special, important child to Al Tharman, but I don't know shit about what they're planning or how I play into it!" 

"Liar!" Hakuryuu pulled the knife away from Judal's throat and stabbed it into his arm. Judal let out a terrible, choked noise of exhausted agony. "If you're so important, you must know something!"

Judal jerked his head away from Hakuryuu's painful grip. He couldn't stand the hunted, manic look in Hakuryuu's eye, and the pain was even fucking worse. Damn that was a lot of blood coming out around the knife. Good thing Hakuryuu'd left it in there, though. Who knew what he'd do with the wound if he took the knife out. Maybe he'd end up like Ithnan, Hakuryuu's own morbid little flower vase. Shit, that'd be fucked up. The thought did awful, tingly things to Judal's gut, and he bit his lower lip. 

"Look, Hakuryuu," Judal started, but Hakuryuu struck him again. "Fuck! You already concussed me, you wanna make me into a fuckin' vegetable? You'll have a shit-ass time getting answers outta me then!" Hakuryuu scowled, but he didn't move to strike again. Judal took a couple quick breaths, trying to refocus, to clear his head, but it was a pretty hopeless endeavour. He settled instead on being a little shit again: that was something he could do. "So what's the next question?"

Hakuryuu took time to mull that one over. "When are you going to tell me why you really came here?"

Judal laughed and shook his head. "Damn, you're self centered. I came here because it was far away from _there._ No reason other than that."

Hakuryuu shook his head. "No. Why would one of Al Tharman's most powerful agents, if that's really who you are… Why would you run away from that?" 

Judal shrugged languidly. "Why did you?"

Shock, Judal decided, was a very beautiful look on Hakuryuu's features. "I'm asking the questions here," he said very rapidly, waving away the question without answering it. "You- you obviously just don't want to talk. That's fine. I've broken stronger men than you." 

Hakuryuu rose, stalking from living room to kitchen, twirling plants around his hand as he went. Judal winced at the sight. Whatever came next was going to hurt like a bitch. He let his eyes slide shut, hoping unconsciousness might claim him again. "I mean every word I've said. Al Tharman are dicks. I fucking hated it there. Not so much the killing, like, that I got used to pretty quick. You get desensitized to that shit, you know? But the rest was… Heh. Well. You ran away too."

"I should kill you," Hakuryuu said. "You might be too dangerous to leave alive."

"Mm. That'd be fair. And fitting! Hakuryuu the Avenging Angel of plant-death claims the life of the Black Sun! Blot me right out." Judal laughed, too high, too loud. Everything was distant and funny and horrible, and he grinned, glancing over to Hakuryuu. 

Hakuryuu had his back to Judal, and his shoulders were set. "Yes. You should probably die." 

Judal laughed in reply, and Hakuryuu turned, slowly walking back over to where Judal was tied. He stared at Judal, and the look on his face was as unreadable as one of Judal's own. He wondered what would reach him, what different life could have changed the outcome.

"I don't want to die," Judal said, his laughter dying to sad, choked little noise. "But I understand." He inclined his head back, offering his throat. He felt more exposed than when he'd trusted Hakuryuu to wash fleas from his hair, and the memory felt as distant as any of the other memories of his miserable little life. They were distant soap bubbles that happened to someone else, drifting through his mind, which existed here and now, where he was the only Real Judal, and he was about to rapidly lose that position due to a terminal case of the deads. "I understand you gotta do what you gotta do." 

Hakuryuu made a hideous, pained little noise in the back of his throat, and he leaned forward, one knee braced between Judal's legs on the chair. The hand that caressed Judal's cheek was damningly fond, tucking a hair behind Judal's ear before trailing down his jaw. Judal's breath hitched a little, and he felt tears that were not his own prick his cheek. He shut his eyes, not wanting to look into Hakuryuu's tear filled face a moment longer.

Hakuryuu's hands wrapped around his throat, tighter than a lover's embrace, and it wasn't long until everything went black.


	10. Hesitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A moment of reflection.

_Buildings loomed high overhead as Hakuryuu staggered backwards. There was something about an unfamiliar city, about winding back alleys and the crush of people that set his mind on edge. There were too many people, too much noise and trash and life. Too much, all packed together like corpses in a mass grave. The air smelled like rain, and the sky was solid gray cloud above him._

_The man at his feet was dead, without question. His blood was still wet on Hakuryuu's hands, and it pooled on the ground of the dirty alleyway, staining his white-and-black cultist's robes a brilliant crimson. In life, he'd probably thought himself part of some grand higher scheme, sent to collect the errant son of the woman who spoke to god. In death, he was a life sentence for Hakuryuu._

_Hakuryuu turned and ran._

_He didn't care where, he didn't care how. He had to get out of here. He was a fool, a childish fool, to think that he could run from his mother, from Al Tharman, from his own helplessness. His pulse pounded in his ears._

__"You will never be free of me." __

_Hakuryuu staggered through alleys and over fences, ran from the twisting crush of city streets. Climbing a fence led to another side-street, and turning down it led to a new labyrinth of streets to run down, turn down, hide down. He didn't even know if he'd been seen, or if he was pursued. And yet he knew, he knew: his mother's watchful eye was upon him, and there was nowhere he could hide from it._

_She would find him, given time._

_Hakuryuu reached a waist-high picket fence, ringed inside by a hedge and sandwiched improbably between buildings it didn't match. He didn't even think as he vaulted over it, rolling inelegantly over the bush and into the yard._

_The world beyond the hedge sang with sunshine and magic, and Hakuryuu stared dumbly at the sight. On his side of the fence it had been gray, cloudy, but in here, the world was a green, lush garden that reached higher than the buildings Hakuryuu had run from. Tiny, curious faces stared back at him- tiny elephants with watering-can trunks, flowers with grins like chainsaws, petite little bears that pet the flowers like they were happy cats. Hakuryuu forced his gaping mouth shut and stumbled back up to his feet. The tiny creatures turned away from their tasks, whispering to each other and advancing on Hakuryuu._

_"I. Um." He swallowed thickly, stumbling backwards._

_"What should we do?" asked one in a squeaky-toy voice._

_"Zagan's gonna be mad about the bushes…" another murmured sadly, gazing behind Hakuryuu at the dent in the bushes he'd left when he rolled over the fence. Everything was falling into place. He'd known he'd trespassed, but that had seemed second to murder. And yet the consequences for even that simple transgression was clear, and he felt sick with his own actions. Either the guilt was making him hallucinate hideous cartoon characters, or he had somehow managed to stumble between the curtains of reality and into a very magical yard._

_Either of these options were very, very bad._

_"We should hold a trial!" said the first creature finally, and a buzz of excitement overtook the others._

_"A trial?" They traded glances. "A trial! Yes, let's have a trial!"_

_Hakuryuu didn't want to find out what these things considered due process of the law. He took to his heels, leaping over the throng of creatures and bolting for the open back door. It was a stupid idea, stupider than jumping over the fence even, but he saw no other option. There was no guarantee climbing over the fence would take him back where he'd come from, and he wanted to put as much distance between him and the creatures as he could._

_He slammed the door shut behind himself, stopping only to fumble the deadbolt shut before tearing further into the house. The light from the kitchen didn't flee into the hall with him, however, and he staggered over roots and buckling floorboards in the dim, claustrophobic hallway. He could see another door at the end of the hall, though where it would take him, he did not know. He prayed, against all hope, that it would somehow take him where he needed to go. He didn't even believe in his mother's stupid god. Yet his heart swelled with hope as he came up upon the door, as he reached for the doorknob, as he saw a street, with cars and rain and a neighborhood, on the other side of the dingy glass._

_A vine snatched his wrist away from the doorknob before his hand could clench around it._

_"Well, well, well…"_

_The voice that spoke to him now was a far cry from the squeaky creatures in the yard. Hakuryuu turned slowly, staring up the rickety staircase at the speaker. Statuesque was a word that came to mind. The man was too large for this space, Hakuryuu could tell, not only in his height but in his very being, and the world warped to accommodate him. If the things in the yard had been a children's fairy tale, than this man was an ancient legend, grand and commanding. The plants that sprung every crack in the house reached towards him, their own, meager magic reaching to be part of his. Hakuryuu sucked in a breath, trying to find the words to explain himself._

_The man descended the stairs like a king, his long hair threaded with flowers and feathers and jewels cascading behind him like an emperor's train. He considered Hakuryuu for a long moment, one long-nailed hand curled at his chin, before he reached out and took Hakuryuu's own chin, turning his face from side to side._

_Hakuryuu sucked in a breath at the touch. "H-hey! I mean. I. I can explain myse-"_

__"Humans," _the man said, sounding both disgusted and disappointed. "If that's all you have to say, then you may save your last pitiful breaths. I don't want your stench all over my house." He made a pinched face, as though Hakuryuu's very existence was repellant to him._

_Hakuryuu could tell now, this man had no need for his story or his life. Tears pricked at his eyes, and he hated himself for it. Not even enough of a man to dry with dignity and dry eyes. A failure, a crybaby child until the end, doomed to die before this-_

_The man snrked, an odd little noise that wasn't quite a laugh. "Oh, now what's that? You're going to cry? Isn't that almost precious!"_

_Hakuryuu's face crumpled up even more. "I think- I think that I'm allowed…"_

_And at that, at the real tears running down Hakuryuu's cheeks and his quivering lip, the man burst into actual laughter. "What a pathetic little child!" His nails dug into Hakuryuu's cheek as he pulled his face upwards. "You have trespassed in my domain, boy, and for that, I'm going to kill you. I'm sure you'll be far more useful as food for my beautiful and charming creatures than you ever would have been in life."_

_"They're ugly!" Hakuryuu snapped back bitterly. "They look like gross rejects from some crappy Saturday morning cartoon!" Impulse had taken over, reason was gone. He was crying and angry and afraid and helpless helpless helpless. "And you, you're not so tough! I bet you're just bullying me because you know you can get away with it! You don't know who I am! I killed a man in cold blood today for trying to take me back to my mother's terrible cult, and I'll kill anyone else who tries to take me back! I'm not afraid of you! I'm not afraid of anyone!" And at that Hakuryuu devolved into helpless, angry sobbing, shoving the man's face from his hand and bawling like a child, held up only by the plant's grip on his left wrist._

_The man stared, rather unsure of what to make of Hakuryuu's outburst. He didn't look sorry, but he did perhaps look awkward, as though he rather wished Hakuryuu could have his tantrum somewhere else. Which was rich, considering the factors at hand._

_Yet he waited, patiently, for Hakuryuu to quiet from sobbed swears and inarticulate sobbing to a mere weakened sniffling. The man chewed on his lip, staring down at Hakuryuu as though he were unsure what to say._

_Hakuryuu took a few gulping breaths, wiping at his eyes with his free hand. "I won't die here." The man opened his mouth to say something, but Hakuryuu raised his head and silenced him with a defiant glare. "I don't care what you think, or what you intend to do to me, but I won't die here. Not yet." He held his chin high, sniffling away the last of his tears. Determination set in his chest, in his belly, from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. "I still have something I must accomplish."_

_"And what," the man drawled, sounding almost amused, "is that?"_

_Hakuryuu held the man's gaze. "I must kill Ren Gyokuen."_

_The man considered Hakuryuu, as though he had just shown some new side, some new light. "Is that so." He slowly circled Hakuryuu, running a hand through his loose hair. Hakuryuu followed him with his eyes, not showing the fear he might by trying to keep his back away. The man hummed softly, running his hand over the plant that gripped Hakuryuu's wrist. It tightened at it's master touch, and Hakuryuu resisted the urge to wince. "You know I hate that about you humans. That petty, violent side of you. You yearn for destruction and vengeance, but death cannot erase death." He twirled his nails through the air, and a flower sprung from Hakuryuu's bond. "Only life can."_

_"Hate cannot be erased," Hakuryuu said, his voice trembling not with fear, but with rage. "The only thing one can do is destroy the things they hate before they are destroyed themselves."_

_The man made a soft, indecipherable noise in the back of his throat. "Those who hunt monsters…" he muttered, turning from Hakuryuu to consider the rest of the plants in the room. Hakuryuu waited for him to go on. He could feel it in the air. The man was in no rush to speak, though, He tended the plants in the room, revitalizing those that had wilted or faded. Every inch of this house was his kingdom. It was like an extension of his own self. Hakuryuu could feel that now. The man finally turned back to Hakuryuu, looking intrigued. "Yet, Ren Gyokuen is not unknown to me, and she is no friend of this house, nor of any who live, from what I hear tell of…" Hakuryuu straightened. "Tell me boy, what would you do for me to spare you?"_

_"I… I have lived my life to this moment to avenge my brothers by killing her." Hakuryuu swallowed, and offered what bow he could. "If I can accomplish that, the rest of my life means nothing. I would gladly give it in service to you, if you would grant me leave to do what I must." The man seemed satisfied with that answer, striding to release Hakuryuu. "Wait."_

_He stopped short of touching Hakuryuu's arm and tilted his head. "Yes?"_

_Hakuryuu took a deep breath. "Let me ask one more thing of you."_

_"Awfully presumptuous…" The man smiled and waved a hand. "I'll allow it."_

_"Grant me some of your power," Hakuryuu ordered. "With your strength, I might be able to do what I have so far been not been able to. And, since I shall henceforth live in your service, you're really not losing anything right? This house is part of you. I'll surrender and be part of yours as well."_

_The man considered Hakuryuu, drumming his fingers on his arm. "You can't expect a boon for nothing."_

_Hakuryuu bit his lip. He'd had hope his service would have been enough, but… "Name your price then," he said, "I'll pay it."_

_The man grinned. "I like your spunk, little son of Gyokuen." His grip tightened, and Hakuryuu's forearm splintered with a sickening crack. "Very well. I'll take my price."_

_Hakuryuu's mind went white hot with pain, and his stomach rose up as he heard the sound of ripping sinew. The ancient creature of magic tore his arm from his body like a gleeful child ripping the wings off flies. A sob escaped his throat, choked and hot, and the blood, the blood was more than Hakuryuu had seen since the night he had lost his brothers. The pain was unbearable. He felt as though he might die of it, of the very stress it put on his body to have something so suddenly ripped away. Shock, he thought distantly, I'm going into shock._

_"That should suffice as price to loan you my power." The man smiled, and Hakuryuu shuddered at the look. Everything felt distant and loud as Hakuryuu watched the man turn his arm over to inspect it before handing it off to a small creature that had appeared at his side. The creature bowed, first to the man and then to Hakuryuu, and then hurried off with his arm. The man, the magical being to whom Hakuryuu had just sworn fealty to, caught Hakuryuu around the waist. Hakuryuu hadn't even realized he was starting to swoon. "Don't go proving my efforts worthless by dying just yet," he chided, and Hakuryuu swallowed._

_"I don't intend to."_

_The man grinned. "Good." He cradled the bloody stump of Hakuryuu's arm in his free hand and clucked his tongue, thoughtful. The pain started to ebb away, replaced with a strange tingling. Hakuryuu fought to keep his eyes open, reached for the pain again to stay grounded, but it didn't come back; Hakuryuu hoped that didn't mean he was dying. The man then traced his hand in the air, nails marking some mysterious spell that shimmered like a heat wave, and a spike of pain overtook the pleasant tingling. The hand on his waist kept him upright, and Hakuryuu watched with a mixture of horror and fascination as sinew and tissue erupted from his stump, twisting around like creeping vines as flowers and sprigs of whirling green emerged to join them. Flesh became plant, and plant flesh, and the whole coalesced under the guidance of the fae's hand and soft humming into a solid mass that throbbed like an open wound and pulsed with magic. The soft, young green of new growth turned to solid, strong wood, and the whole of the fae's magic became a single thing: a wooden arm with delicate joints._

_Hakuryuu slowly flexed the hand, staring at it in wonder._

_"That should allow you access to some of my power," the man said, releasing his grip on Hakuryuu now that he no longer seemed ready to fall over. "It is made with a bit of me, but also a bit of you. It will be useful as a magical focus." He stepped away, offering a bow that seemed only the slightest bit mocking. "I am known as Zagan, and that is name enough for you. Consider it a bit of my boon."_

_"Zagan…" Hakuryuu tested the name on his tongue, dizzy with pain and the sight of blood and still in wonder of the arm Zagan had just created from nothing. The name tasted like power, but not as overwhelming as the name of such a creature should have been. Only a piece then._

_He could figure out the full name and win his freedom in time enough._

_Hakuryuu nodded and returned Zagan's bow. "Thank you for your boons. I will use them well."_

* * *

Rushing in his ears. A blackened room. Judal had to say, he was getting pretty damn tired of swimming headaches and darkness. From the distant noise of someone doing something beyond the gloom, he reasoned that he probably wasn't dead. Probably. More details came into focus- light from below a door, around the door, okay there's a door, got it, and the sound of a tea kettle, Hakuryuu shuffling around. His throat hurt. If Hakuryuu was gonna fucking kill him, the least he could do was get it over with. Judal hated waiting. 

He shut his eyes, falling under again.

* * *

_Hakuryuu stared at Zagan, soaked to the bone and shivering. It was not the cold rain that chilled him to the core, though._

_"I did it," he said, his voice trembling. "I did it."_

_Zagan stared at him wordlessly, as though uncertain what to say of his sorry state. As though he had somehow not expected Hakuryuu to ever return, or had, perhaps, forgotten Hakuryuu had ever passed through his door. Hakuryuu shifted from foot to foot, staring up into Zagan's face as though it would somehow give him answers._

_Zagan put a hand on Hakuryuu's shoulder and guided him into the dark house. Even in here it smelled damp, like a forest after a heavy rain. Tiny inhuman faces watched them from every crack, full of questions, full of curiosity. The kitchen was gloomy, and rain pounded on the other side of those windows as well. Zagan brought down his ceramic teakettle and began boiling water. As he waited on that, he measured a blend of tea leaves and then sifted them all into a tea strainer, setting it in a delicate little cup. When the kettle pierced the silence with its wail, Zagan gently took it and poured the hot water over the strainer._

_He placed the cup before Hakuryuu and waited, patiently._

_Hakuryuu slowly looked up at Zagan like a man asleep. "I can't drink this. Fae food. It…"_

_Zagan pushed the tea cup towards him. "I promise nothing you eat or drink in this house will bind you. They are here for you to take of freely, with nothing demanded in return. I will not curse food from the outside world to ash in your mouth." He patted Hakuryuu's hand. "I just thought you might like some tea to warm up with."_

_Hakuryuu stared at the cup before slowly picking it up. He raised the cup to his lips, and the tea felt warm all the way down to his belly. "Thank you," he said softly. Each sip warmed him a little more, and the warmth of the cup in his hands grounded him. He was here, and now, in the strange liminal space of Zagan's kitchen, drinking tea and listening to the rain against the windows. "I killed her, Zagan," he said again. "I'm still not sure how. But I did it. This power… it was astounding." He looked down at his wooden hand, losing himself tracing the grain with his eyes. Perhaps it was magic, or perhaps it was just his tired eyes, but it seemed to shift and contort under his gaze. Hakuryuu clenched his eyes shut and set the teacup down, clenching his hands into fists. "But now I don't know what to do. I've lived my whole life for this, and now it's over. What do I do now?"_

_"Well, your work isn't done, yet," Zagan said with a vague note of annoyance. "Don't go acting as though you've reached the end of your road."_

_Hakuryuu lifted his head and stared at Zagan._

_Zagan pointed a finger at Hakuryuu, one long, perfect nail pressing lightly against Hakuryuu's chest. "I gave you that power with the promise that you would aid me later." Hakuryuu felt his wooden arm pulse with intense and alien power, all the way up to his shoulder, and Hakuryuu shuddered to full attention. Zagan's mouth quirked into a smile. His hand fell from Hakuryuu's chest to his arm, and he wound the disguising magics back around the wood to make it appear flesh again. "You still owe me service." Zagan rose, deciding now to make himself a cup of tea. "No need to thank me, I'm quite happy to give you purpose again, you snivelling human insect. And, since I am so boundlessly magnanimous, you may stay here until you are adjusted enough to leave."_

_Hakuryuu nodded dumbly and took his tea up again. He had no motivation one way or the other to resist fulfilling his obligation. At least it was something- a job, a place to be, a thing to focus on besides his utter lack of purpose in the universe._

* * *

Zagan  
  
So have you made up your mind yet?  
  
No. It's not something you can decide on quickly.  
  
Wait. Zagan, how did you know that I was debating on something?  
  
  
  
I should never have taught you about those.  
  
You are my noble servant.  
  
You cannot hide the emojis from me.   
  


It hardly seemed an appropriate time for whimsical emojis or out-of-the-blue texts from a nosy Zagan. Hakuryuu was quite busy stewing and hesitating and cleaning every surface in his house so he wouldn't have to think about Judal or Al Tharman or killing Judal, which he would have to do to kill all of Al Tharman. How had Zagan known he was debating on anything anyway? Had he texted him for advice? He didn't remember it, and scrolling up through his texts seemed to verify his memory. He suppressed a shudder and resisted glancing at his wooden arm. 

Zagan  
  
Well… Moving on… No. No I haven't decided what I'm going to do about Judal.  
  
I know what I should do, but I can't bring myself to do it.  
  
It was a mistake to let him live this long.  
  
I would have killed him myself if I thought that.  
  
?  
  
Do you think I didn't know he was some sort of powerful mage? What sort of fool do you take me for!  
  


Hakuryuu sucked in a hiss of breath. Zagan had known? But of course he'd known. Stupid fae. Stupid Zagan. Stupid him for not bothering to ask, for not being more suspicious, for not using every weapon at his disposal to defend himself. He should have known when Zagan told him to be cautious. He could barely keep from snapping his phone in half as he typed out a reply. 

Zagan  
  
You bastard.  
  
Why didn't you tell me???  
  
No. Don't answer. You're just going to vague and send me an emoji.  
  
  
  
I had already sent that one.  
  
But! I didn't tell you for a couple reasons  
  
1) You did not ask.  
  


Hakuryuu groaned and nobly resisted the urge to fling his phone across the room. It was only the high cost of replacing his phone and the promise of more answers that allowed him to succeed. What an asininely fae reason. He afforded a glance at the closet where he'd locked Judal, silent for a long time now, and wondered if he was alright in there. Probably not. Hakuryuu looked back to his phone. 

Zagan  
  
2) I did not know he was allied with Al Tharman.  
  
And finally, 3) You need more friends outside of me~  
  
Ugh  
  
You're exhausting to talk to, I hope you know that.  
  
I'm simply saying. Indecision doesn't suit you.  
  
Nor does being obsessed with the violent past.  
  


* * *

_"You know, Hakuryuu, when you gave your life in service to me, this wasn't exactly what I had imagined," Zagan said, gazing disdainfully at Hakuryuu's despondent sprawl on the chaise. Hakuryuu lifted his arm from his eyes to glare at Zagan. The ancient fae's hovering and fussing had long grown vexsome, and he really wanted nothing more than to lay on the couch and not be anything for a bit. Unfortunately, Hakuryuu's withering looks were not as effective on Zagan as they were on plants. Zagan clucked his tongue. "Up!"_

_"I don't quite see what the problem is," Hakuryuu grumbled. "I do your tasks, I dutifully return to your side. What more do you want?"_

_Zagan threw a hand into the air. "More than an obedient slave, I suppose! I can make enough of those on my own." He stomped loudly over to the window, drawing back the shades to let hot summer sunlight spill in. Hakuryuu winced at the harsh light. "I thought having a human vassal would be more_ amusing _than this."_

_Hakuryuu sat up and sighed. "Should I do cartwheels, then?"_

_Zagan frowned. "Don't get cute." He gestured out the window to the reflection of the human world outside the front yard. "I have a task for you."_

_That perked Hakuryuu up a bit. "Then you should have just said so."_

_"Quiet." Zagan gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "An acquaintance of mine, Belial, has given me a warning about unpleasant forces gathering near here."_

_Hakuryuu nodded. "And you want more of this Belial's gossip? Or do you want me to root out the problem itself this time?"_

_"The latter," Zagan said with a smile. "Belial is perhaps an even worse host than myself." Hakuryuu snorted at that, and it made Zagan's smile widen. "There, that's a good little pet." He crossed to Hakuryuu and poked him in the chest. "I charge you to travel to where this threat has hidden and eliminate it by whatever means necessary."_

_Hakuryuu nodded again. "Of course Zagan." He stood so he could properly bow to the ancient fae. "Your will shall be done."_

_Zagan ruffled Hakuryuu's hair. "Be safe, now. Whatever means necessary does not include foolhardy suicide missions."_

_Hakuryuu frowned. "I've more self-preservation than that." The skeptical look Zagan gave in reply just made Hakuryuu frown more, and he turned to go to his task._

_The act of slipping between the liminal fae space of Zagan's house and the normal, quiet street that he lived on had become second nature by now for Hakuryuu. The tingle of moving through a magical space and the coarse feeling of the picket fence post in his hand were his well-won allies by now. Zagan's house wasn't home, but it did well enough for now._

_Hakuryuu set out without much direction to go on, walking away from the main drag and towards the edge of town. He needed to figure out where these "unpleasant forces" were gathering, but to do that he'd need to get free of the interference of Zagan's house. He flexed his wooden arm, glancing up the street to see if anyone might be watching. It would be easier to sense any unfamiliar presences with his glamours off. Hakuryuu was not the most naturally gifted at magic that searched or knew, and so anything that hid his power essentially put blinders on his ability to sense magic._

_He ended up pausing to drop the disguise at a covered bus stop at the end of the block. The shade was welcome: summer had decided to skip fucking around entirely and go straight into a blistering, humid glare this year. Hakuryuu stretched his fingers, testing the air for the flow of the city's magic. Zagan's informant was right, he decided after a moment of study, something definitely felt different. Unfamiliar. Wrong. Hakuryuu frowned, trying to pick up the thread of its wrongness, to pinpoint where it emanated from. Something seemed familiar about the crawling sensation he felt under his skin when he reached for it, cold and insidious like his mother's words…_

_Hakuryuu shrugged it off, refusing to let the creeping wrongness nest too thoroughly in him. He slowly started to walk, following the feeling of revulsion back the way he'd came, through streets and side streets and around yards, until he nearly walked into traffic and had to force himself to pay more attention to his path. Zagan would never let him live it down if he got struck by a car._

_Hakuryuu's search lead him in circles until, finally, it took him to a no-tell motel nestled near an industrial park. It was an old motel, the sort that still gives out physical keys rather than magnetized keycards. It worked well for Hakuryuu's purposes. He walked along the ground level row of rooms, playing hot and cold until he found the room that made him want to run away the most. From there it was a simple matter of growing plants into the lock and crushing the mechanisms enough to wrench the door open. As much as he liked the idea of being able to pick a lock, that level of dexterity was something he was still working on._

_The door burst open with a creak and a crack, and from there things went very fast. Hakuryuu caught the man closest to the door with the plants he'd used to break the lock, and threw him against the wall with all his might. The other gave a shout, and Hakuryuu dove into the room. Something whizzed above his head, something nasty, and he heard it strike a car in the lot. The man he'd thrown groaned, trying to sit back up, and Hakruyuu clenched his first, the plants wrapping tight enough to snap him like a twig._

_That left just Hakuryuu and the second man, the one who had hurled a spell over his head. Hakuryuu dove over the bed to avoid a second bolt of vile energy._

_"For the Glory of Our Father!" the man shouted._

_Hakuryuu's mind snapped from battle, to chanting and chiding and his mother's watchful eyes, even dead, glassy, staring, watching- Al Tharman. Hakuryuu whipped his hand out with a snarl of his own, and the man choked on rot in his throat. The words of prayer to Il Illah went voiceless from the man's lips in his dying moments as he fell._

_A sick, giddy sort of glee surged through Hakuryuu as he stared at the corpses at his feet. Al Tharman. Here! Hakuryuu stepped over the man who had tried to kill him and stared at the remains of their belongings: the typical vile talismans of a servant of Il Illah who actually knew a thing or two. Hakuryuu grabbed a grocery bag off the desk, dumped out its contents- snacks from a long car ride, by the look of it- and shoveled the dark magic inside it. If Al Tharman was here, then that meant they were on the move. Killing Gyokuen had not stopped them. It was the most comforting thought Hakuryuu had had in months, and his blood raced with renewed vitriol against his old foe._

_His adrenaline and exuberance carried him like wind in sails, practically running all the way to Zagan's slouched abode._

_"It was Al Tharman!" Hakuryuu nearly shouted as he burst through the door. "You could have told me it would be Al Tharman!"_

_Zagan tilted his head. He did not share in Hakuryuu's fervor or sense of urgency. "I didn't know for sure that it would be. I thought you had completed your little quest for vengeance, at any rate."_

_"I-" The accusation stopped Hakuryuu short for a moment. "I have killed my mother. And that was my main goal. The rest... "_

_Zagan sighed. "Never mind."_

_Hakuryuu realized now, that Zagan was watching him, waiting for something. He stood up a bit straighter- a report was probably in order. "I came upon them while they were working a spell, something to extend some of Il Illah's powers into the earth of this place." There was something pumping through Hakuryuu's veins, something old and fresh and violent and whole, and it had him near smiling. "I took one's head off. Rotted the other from the inside. And then I used your magic to heal the place as best I could." He shook his head, smiling even as he delivered dread news. "But they're not done here, Zagan. Al Tharman is on the move, and they have plans! We need to-" Hakuryuu stopped himself when he realized Zagan had developed a sly little smile. It unnerved him. "What."_

_Zagan waved a hand. "No, no, by all means, go on. I'm simply intrigued to see you so invigorated… And so full of decisions about what I should be doing here."_

_Hakuryuu realized his misstep with a sick jolt. Presumptuous! Unless he could figure out the fae's real name, he was Zagan's plaything, not his master, and he had no business telling Zagan what they would be doing henceforth. Yet the racing blood in his veins would not yield. "If Al Tharman gains a hold here, they will do terrible things to this city, until it's as much of rat-king of black magic and twisted souls as their other strongholds. I grew up under Gyokuen's thumb; I've seen what they can do and how quickly they can do it. As long as Al Tharman exists here… No, as long as Al Tharman exists at all, they will gnaw at the roots of this world like maggots until there's nothing left."_

_Zagan considered this. Perhaps the plant simile had been more effective than Hakuryuu had dared hope. "So you do still have fight in you… And you want to take it and turn your fangs against the whole of Al Tharman? After you swore yourself to me?"_

_Hakuryuu swallowed thickly. He couldn't defy Zagan, and yet… "Destroying Al Tharman is in your best interest as well. You'll benefit just as much as I will."_

_Zagan blinked slowly at Hakuryuu. "And if I refuse to give you my permission? Then what will you do?"_

_As if it were even a question. Hakuryuu boldly looked Zagan in the eyes. "What will I do? There's nothing left to be said. After all Zagan, I'd say it's pretty clear…."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is posted by SetsuntaMew for a change, so hi everyone! both dragonofeternal and I are _incredibly_ grateful for the 100 kudos ;w; thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read and kudos and comment our gross little fic; we treasure each and every one of you!!! also, this chapter was finished a couple weeks ago, but I'm responsible for the fancy text coding, so the delay is my fault. sorry guys D:
> 
> iPhone ao3 skin by CodenameCarrot & La_Temperanza, found [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6434845). Thank you!


	11. It Can Never Be the Same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakuryuu spares Judal.

Judal's usually gorgeous face was a swollen, ugly smear of bruises, and yet he somehow found the will to smirk. There wasn't much for Judal to be smirking about, except for the fact that he was still breathing. Hakuryuu was beginning to wonder if it wasn't a kind of armor for him. 

"I've reconsidered my decision to kill you," Hakuryuu said at last, holding his head high. 

Judal grinned a little wider. "Ah… So it's time for more twenty questions and torture? Such a romantic."

Hakuryuu bristled. "No, you absolute- no. I'm letting you live. And untying you. But there are conditions. Things that need to happen. You aren't getting off the hook just-"

"Got it, got it, I'm still your bitch." Judal sounded cranky. It almost made Hakuryuu want to leave him there. Almost. Judal breathed a sigh of relief Hakuryuu undid the ties on his wrists, and pulled his hands close to rub at the marks the rope had left. "So what do you need?" 

"First of all?" Hakuryuu asked, standing back a ways to look Judal up and down. He was a mess, but not as bad of a mess as Hakuryuu had expected. He'd been going easy, and the fact didn't sit well with him. That didn't stop the dark ring of bruises around Judal's neck from staring back at him like a reminder of the violence he had been able to deal Judal. "I'm going to need to patch you up to make sure that you don't end up any stupider than you already are."

Judal snorted and leaned back in the chair. "All right. That's fair."

Hakuryuu yanked Judal up to his feet, to remind him who was in charge. Judal grumbled about feeling dizzy, but allowed Hakuryuu to guide him to the couch. Judal sank into it with gratitude, wondering what was next for him. Hakuryuu grabbed his chin roughly and twisted Judal's head from side to side, checking him over. He made a "hrmm" noise as he let Judal's jaw go and slowly waved a hand in front of Judal's face.

"I wonder if you have a concussion," he said. "That would be bad." 

"No shit," Judal replied.

Hakuryuu frowned at Judal's sass. If he hadn't decided to let him live, it might have been tempting to slap him. But slapping potentially concussed associates is typically considered bad form, and Hakuryuu considered himself better than that. 

"Hold still," he said, "I'll patch you up." Hakuryuu called energy and plants to his hand and reached towards Judal.

"Oh no, no-no-no, we're not playing this game," Judal scooted away from Hakuryuu. "I saw what those did to Ithnan. I'm not dumb." He laughed and pointed. "I respect you very much as a _fucking crazy person_ who could totally kill me in a second. No plants."

Hakuryuu groaned in aggravation and closed the distance between them again. "Don't be a big baby. Just hold still." 

"No way, nuh-uh." Judal pulled his knees up and kicked a leg out at Hakuryuu. "Nooooo way." 

Hakuryuu oofed as Judal's foot collided with his chest. "Just a moment ago you were joking about me torturing you, and now you won't even let me heal you? I will never understand you!" He shoved Judal's legs aside and grabbed his collar. "You don't get to have a say in things anymore, Judal. Things aren't just going back to how they were. I spared you because you're useful, do you understand?"

Judal laughed nervously. "That sure is cold-"

"Yes." Hakuryuu lifted his plant and magic covered hand. "Now hold still."

Judal whined as Hakuryuu's hand gently touched his face. "I swear to god Hakuryuu, if you scramble my brain with those plants, my newly retarded ghost is going to come back and haunt the shit out of you."

"Shut up, Judal." 

A wave of gentle energy washed over Judal, and the plants, instead of invading his ears to scramble his brain or whatever it was that Judal had expected, simply wrapped around him. Judal slowly relaxed under Hakuryuu's touch, and the two sat there until Hakuryuu decided it was time to speak again.

"I think we need to lay some ground rules down," he said. "First of all, you don't get to keep any more of your secrets from me. If you have information you withheld during your interrogation, you are going to tell it to me." Hakuryuu watched the plants curl around Judal's delicate, bruised neck. It would be so easy to just pull a few strings, change the spell a little, and snap that pretty neck like a twig. The thought, intruding on Hakuryuu's own thoughts, made him feel somewhat nauseous. "Next, you are to report and point out any Al Tharman members you recognize when we're out and about. Third, you aren't allowed to wander off without my permission or supervision-"

Judal rolled his eyes. "You already said I wasn't supposed to leave unless you were watching me! Remember? As one of your conditions for not killing me?" 

"I-" Hakuryuu flushed. "I may have forgotten that." 

Judal laughed. "And I thought I had a bad memory!" He sighed and leaned into Hakuryuu's touch a little, gazing up at him through his lashes. "But okay, I can do that. What's the next condition?"

"I… Just. Just remember that you're living because I allow it. Because you're useful. Nothing more, nothing less." Hakuryuu felt lame and half-hearted saying it aloud. It sounded sort of silly,and unnecessarily cruel, like he was some sort of poorly written cartoon villain.

But Judal just sighed into his hand with the resignation of a man who has heard that sort of thing before. "Of course."

Hakuryuu bit his lip to keep from saying something tender, or taking back his rules. Judal was Al Tharman, first and foremost. Even if he had left, it didn't mean he could be trusted. It didn't erase however many years of faith he had had in Al Tharman's dark idols. Hakuryuu sighed, lightly scratching Judal's head. 

"So how long have-" Hakuryuu corrected himself, _"had_ you been with Al Tharman?"

"Long as I can remember, really," Judal muttered, suddenly far more evasive. He flicked his eyes down and away, not wanting to meet Hakuryuu's gaze. "It was my whole life. They took me in when I was just a baby. They always said I was- you know those programs? The ones where well meaning whoevers can adopt the poor, sad, unwanted China babies? Some folks said I was outta one of those. Or something like that. You know. Some kid nobody wanted." He sighed, and Hakuryuu was startled by how tired he looked. Judal had bags, he realized, bags upon bags under his eyes that he had never noticed until now. The sort of bags that don't come from a single restless night tied up on a closet, but that build from a lifetime of being so fucking tired. "I mean, I was always special to _them._ They made sure to drive that home. That I was precious and beloved by Il Illah, and that _they_ loved and understood me like no one else could. Real aggrandizing, put-you-on-a-pedestal shit. The kind that makes you feel like the most important little shit ever to pick his fucking nose." 

Hakuryuu finally pulled his hands away, content that Judal's injuries had been healed enough. His bruises were looking better already, and he brushed a few stray bits of plant away from Judal. This long, ranting explanation was decidedly clearer information than the interrogation had given him. "So why did you leave?"

Judal barked out a laugh that died into a hollow chuckle. "I guess there's just a pretty big overlap between putting someone on a pedestal and making them into some object that just exists for Al Tharman. Plus, like I said before, I didn't get to do shit that was fun." He forced his grin back on, and Hakuryuu returned it, because it seemed to reassure him.

"Well, you're probably hungry-" 

"Starving, really."

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes. "Well, we can continue this discussion over food. Why don't you go clean up?" 

Judal nodded and stood up, stretching and rolling his neck. "Huh. I feel a lot better." He ran a hand through his hair, turning to pad down the hall to the bathroom.

Hakuryuu sighed, watching him go. Cooking would clear his head. It always did.

Stir fry tonight: chicken, because he still had a frozen breast or two in his freezer, and lots of vegetables, because there wasn't enough chicken to really satiate two people. Plus, vegetables would irritate Judal, and Hakuryuu smiled a little thinking about his precious, frowning face.

Not precious.

Ugh.

Hakuryuu pulled his rice cooker forward and set it to the task of making delicious rice while the chicken defrosted in the microwave. Cooking. He was cooking now, not thinking about Judal. Sizzling oil, thick, flavorful sauces, vegetables. Food he could eat and enjoy _on his own._

Judal finished his shower before the food was quite finished, and he took a seat at the table, uncharacteristically silent. Hakuryuu opened his mouth to speak, but found his heart wasn't in it. Not yet. He finished the meal and served up a plate for both him and Judal, bringing both to the table.

Judal prodded the food on his plate with a fork. "Did you fill this with vegetables just to spite me?" 

"Maybe." Hakuryuu took a bite. "If you don't like it, then don't eat it. This isn't a restaurant, and I'm not going to change my cooking just to please you." 

The sour expression on Judal's face as he shoved a piece of carrot aside was worth all the money in the world to Hakuryuu in that moment. Success. Hakuryuu smiled to himself.

Judal leaned his chin on one hand while he picked the rest of his vegetables out. This left him with a lot of saucy rice and not much else. "So," he said, and then took a bite of food that silenced him for a long while. "Mm. that's good. Mmm! But!" He gestured with his fork. "I'm glad. That you're not gonna kill me, and that we're still gonna get to hang out and stuff."

The words hung like a poisoned knife in the air, and Hakuryuu glared at Judal.

"We are not going to 'hang out' anymore. That's over." He took a bite of his food. It no longer seemed quite so delicious. "If it wasn't clear to you before, things are _never_ going to be the same between us." 

Judal stared at him, silent, waiting. 

"What?!" Hakuryuu snapped. "What, are you upset?"

"Maybe." Judal shrugged. "Mostly I'm just waiting."

"Waiting for what, Judal? For me to lie and say everything is going to be sunshine and rainbows?"

Judal took a couple more bites of his food. "I guess I'm waiting for you to quit being a wimp and say whatever it is that you're not saying to me. I can tell you have something on your mind." Judal's hand inched closer to Hakuryuu's. "Talk to me."

Hakuryuu drew his away. "It can't be the same, Judal. Things can't be the way they were before." 

"I know," Judal said. There was a weariness in his eyes, and a desperation.

"It's just how things are. You betrayed my trust. I _gave_ you my trust. I don't do that. Ever. It just isn't the same anymore." 

"I know," said Judal.

Hakuryuu leaned over the small dining table, trying to intimidate. "I mean it, Judal. I hate Al Tharman. Even if you say you're no longer with them, I'll be watching you, every day, for the rest of your life."

"I know."

"You're awfully calm then. Although I suppose that's just your way, isn't it? You pretend like nothing's wrong in the whole damn world, like nothing matters a bit to you. But I've seen through you now. You're a liar, and you're full of shit. But know this-" his throat felt tight as he forced out the words, "I don't give a damn how you feel. It doesn't change the fact that things… that things have changed now."

"I know." Judal leaned forward.

Fingers brush, then entwine. Lips meet. A moment.

Hakuryuu pulled away, hating how red his face felt. "I… Judal…." His walls were crumbling, and there was nothing to stop Judal from stepping over the rubble. 

Judal squeezed his hand and leaned in to kiss Hakuryuu again. "It's okay, Hakuryuu. I know. I know."


	12. Lockbox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judal and Hakuryuu begin sorting through Hakuryuu's stolen documents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I say this a lot, but my deepest thanks to all of you who read this. Your loyalty and patience means the fucking world to me. It's been a rough month with adjusting to a new medication that isn't quite working, and as a result I've lost a lot of writing time to my defective brain. I've really, _really_ wanted to update this, but I just could not put words to paper. I'm finally getting out of the woods, and updates on this and other things should be resuming to my more usual slow crawl, rather than the bizarre, long-ass content drought of only cross-posting older shit to make it seem like I haven't died. 
> 
> Basically, you guys rock, and I hope you continue to enjoy mine and Killian's shit.

Kissing Judal was everything Hakuryuu had tried not to imagine and more. The "more" unfortunately involved a bit more lip biting than Hakuryuu would have liked, but the rest- the unthinkable tenderness of his lips and the unfathomable urgency of Judal's hand as he gripped Hakuryuu's tighter to draw them together- that was nice. Even though they had never kissed before, Hakuryuu found himself thinking how much he had missed this.

When Judal pulled away, Hakuryuu tried to follow, to keep the kiss going. Judal chuckled. "Yeah… Yeah. Things are definitely going to be different now." 

"Ah…" Hakuryuu pulled away, raising a hand to his lips. "Shit." 

Judal let Hakuryuu go. There were unspoken things in Judal's eyes, and he opened his mouth to make them known, but Hakuryuu raised his hand, laughing and shaking his head. 

"Did you really just kiss me?" Hakuryuu asked. "After I tortured you and locked you in a closet? After I threatened to kill you? Tried, to kill you, really, and failed, because I'm an idiot who can't follow through on a simple-"

"Hakuryuu." Judal said with a laugh, "don't be a bitch. You were barely torturing me compared to what you did to Ithnan. And you threaten to kill me all the time. It's practically our thing." 

Hakuryuu stared at Judal, struck nearly dumb by his words. While he had to admit there was a certain truth to them, he couldn't reconcile his actions with Judal's kiss, or their entwined hands, or the way Judal stared at him now. He looked away, unable to wonder anymore.

Judal laughed. "Why don't we sleep on it? And in the morning we can go over what I know, and what you know, and figure out what we want to do about all…" he gestured at the two of them in such a vague way that it could have indicated the whole world, "this."

Hakuryuu nodded. "I suppose that's fair." He looked at his plate. "I'm going to put the leftovers away and finish my food in my room."

"Kay." Judal picked up his plate and scraped all his veggies onto Hakuryuu's. "Good night Hakuryuu."

* * *

Hakuryuu woke up the next morning to the sound of Judal singing in the main room, slightly off tune and full of good cheer. It was kind of eerie, listening to something so bright after the days of silence. His head hurt from stressing so much. 

Still, Hakuryuu dragged himself from bed and dressed. Outside, the sun was shining, and the street below his apartment buzzed with the daily excitement of urban life. The world wasn't going to give him answers about Judal, or the future, or anything else. It was time to keep moving forward. 

"Oh, hey, good morning, Hakuryuu!" Judal said with genuine cheer and enthusiasm when Hakuryuu came out into the living room. His hair was back in its braid, and the braid itself had then been partially pinned up to the rest of his head with a pair of cheap wooden chopsticks Hakuryuu had a feeling had come out of a chinese takeout restaurant. "I rifled through Ithnan's corpse and got us doughnuts. He still had some cash in his wallet." Judal jerked his head at the table, where a box of surprisingly delectable looking doughnuts sat. These were no gas station baked goods. Hakuryuu tentatively picked up a jelly filled one and took a bite. "And before you ask, no, I did not help myself to a heaping helping of dead asshole."

Hakuryuu nearly choked on his doughnut as he laughed. "I- Haa." He wiped at the back of his mouth and gave Judal an awkward smile. "These are good. And good, also, don't eat dead bodies." 

Judal broke into a wide grin. "You got it. Only cannibalize the living from now on." 

"I- That's not," Hakuryuu began to sputter, but then stopped. "Oh. You're joking." Judal laughed at him. "I'm not good with jokes." Hakuryuu's cheeks felt warm with the mildest embarrassment, and he lightly shoved Judal. "I can't believe how casual you're being."

Judal shrugged. "Like I said the other day, I was just hun-"

"No, not about that. I." Hakuryuu gestured at the entire room, perhaps the entire universe, and by that gesture meant the small space that was left between him and Judal. The space that had grown narrower with every sleepless night Judal spent lounging on his couch or pacing the living room, that had diminished to almost nothing when Judal had kissed him the night before. "Us. This. The fact that I-"

"Beat the shit outta me?" Judal raised an eyebrow, flopping into one of the dining chairs and gazing up at Hakuryuu through the dark scrawl of his bangs. "My brain's like a sieve anyway. Consider it forgotten; if it isn't already, it'll probably be gone in a couple weeks or months or years anyway. Water under the bridge, or whatever." 

Hakuryuu opened his mouth to protest, but he could tell he wouldn't make any headway. Judal was too damn stubborn. "All right then." He ate his doughnut in silence, staring off at the wall and not joining Judal in sitting at the table. The doughnut was a pretty good reason not to talk though; it was good enough to warrant silence. Judal hummed to fill it.

After he'd licked the last of the powdered sugar from his fingers, Hakuryuu turned and went back into his room, returning with a lockbox from beneath his bed. He dropped it on the table with a heavy thunk that startled Judal from his humming.

"The fuck?"

"This," Hakuryuu said, sitting down catty-corner to Judal, "is a selection of the documents I stole when I ran away from my mother's compound. The rest are in an iron box back at Zagan's." He turned the box so that Judal couldn't watch him input the combination. He then turned the open box back to Judal with as much of a flourish as he could manage. "Let's see what your sieve of a brain can sift out of this, shall we?"

Judal reached into the box, pulling out an overflowing manilla envelope stuffed with with folders and binder-clipped stacks of paper. "Huh." He pulled out the first sheet of paper and glanced over the photos and words. "This guy's been dead a while. No point in hanging on to that one. Just chop it." 

Hakuryuu grinned. "See, this is something I can use." 

Judal bent down over the table, pouring over the next few. Dead, he pronounced some, or don't know 'em, or utterly unimportant, and even the people he didn't know he seemed to have an opinion on. They were all something in Judal's eyes, something Hakuryuu had never even thought of. These were people Judal had seen, had known, and it seemed to curdle his lips and his voice just to think about them. Judal's hands lingered on each page longer than seemed comfortable or necessary, sometimes touching faces or words and then taking his fingers to his lips with the slightest tremble. 

Hakuryuu left him to the work in peace. He took the papers Judal offered as the faces of the dead, only making notes of anything he said in addition- killed for treason, killed in the line of duty, sacrificed for good service. Others Judal set aside as others he thought might be like themselves- people who had fled Al Tharman, who might still be living with knowledge and skills they could use. But most were alive, or unknown. Many of those were people Judal had never bothered to properly meet.

Midway through the day, Hakuryuu left to collect the rest of the documents from Zagan's, leaving Judal alone. Judal hummed to himself as he looked over the papers. Nothing too relevant or amazing so far… he tossed his current folder on the floor picked up a new fat stack, his interest spent. 

_Techniques for the Invocation and Summoning,_ it read. 

"Nifty, " Judal replied to the paper and began to flit through. It was dense, dull stuff at first, but there was something about it that made the back of his brain tickle, like he was fighting against a sneeze of memory, and that tickle made him press on through dreary text and the dancing of b's and d's. 

Somewhere in there time slipped, or maybe his eyes slipped, or maybe his hand slipped, but things mashed together all the same, and then his hands shook as he turned page after page, silently mouthing the words of incantation and power, mindful not to lend them his own magic, and feeling bile and the burnt taste of sour memories building in his mind. Things flashed, half remembered, almost gone, as he read, and he continued to read until Hakuryuu returned. 

"I brought us take out," Hakuryuu said. "Also Zagan says hi." He toed off his shoes, rejoining Judal at the table. It wasn't until he was seated again that he saw the pallid tremor that had overtaken Judal's hands "Are you alright?" 

"Summoning spells." Judal shoved the pack at Hakuryuu. "They don't work. Draft stuff. Still powerful though. For calling up Il Illah." His voice sounded tight and pained.

Hakuryuu took the paper awkwardly with a laugh. "Well of course they don't work. My mother's goons are a bunch of incompetents and idiots." He set the bag of takeout on the table and handed Judal a tin of lo mein. "It makes sense that anything they'd come up with would be just as foolish." 

Judal nodded. "The real shit was… nggh…" he ran a hand through his hair. "I saw it. Once." 

Hakuryuu raised an eyebrow. "You saw Il Illah?" 

"Uh huh. It's some real Lovecraft, scramble your brain shit," Judal said, finally setting the tin down to peel back the foil edges and pull back the paper lid to expose the delicious noodly goodness within. "It was like… like staring into a huge crowd of people, and they're all screaming, except the people are made of static, and it's actually silent despite how much your ears hurt."

"That makes no sense Judal."

"Well, yeah, it's a fucking dark god or whatever, it's not _supposed_ to make sense!" Judal didn't even look up from his food. His hands gripped the edge of the table with white knuckled intensity. "I know what I saw. And what I saw was so fucking awful that I nearly puked, and I definitely blacked out." He blinked hard and shook his head, trying to dispel the memory ringing in his ears.

"Il Illah isn't real," Hakuryuu assured him, but his voice sounded shaky. "Whatever that was, it wasn't a god."

"God or not," Judal said. "I don't wanna see that thing get out of wherever the fuck it is now."

Hakuryuu shuddered at Judal's tone. It seemed wrong to interrupt or try to force more out of him yet, not with the way Judal's gaze trembled and his mouth worked like he was trying to speak some terrible unknown. He silently nudged Judal's chopsticks so they brushed his hand, and Judal started. Hakuryuu watched as Judal stared at them, as though they were foreign instruments of great mystery, and then slowly picked them up, ripped open the paper, and began to eat.

Food revitalized Judal almost instantly. A wry little smirk returned to his face, and Hakuryuu breathed a sigh he hadn't realized he was holding as he watched Judal start picking the vegetables from the tin. Judal's eyes flicked up to meet his.

"Aww, what, were you worried about me?" He jabbed his chopsticks in Hakuryuu's direction. "Eat your food, dude." Hakuryuu jolted, realizing just how obvious his worried staring had been. Judal laughed. "You are too damn cute."

"So why did they show you that?" Hakuryuu ventured as he opened his food. He didn't want to name what Judal had seen as Il Illah, not yet. He wasn't ready for that sort of commitment.

Judal flinched a little, but considered the question as he chewed. "I think…. It was important somehow, I remember that. I was important to them. They said that I needed to… How was it they put it… Uh…" 

Hakuryuu winced as Judal's eyes glassed over, as his jaw went a little slack and his neck muscles pinched. There was something about it that was like the look Judal had gotten after being struck. "It's fine, Judal." He reached his hand over and laid it over Judal's. "We'll figure it out together."

Judal blinked like he was waking. "Figure what out together?"

Hakuryuu forced on a sardonic smile like Judal always did. "What you have to do with Al Tharman's plans for Il Illah." 

Judal mirrored the grin, just like Hakuryuu had hoped he would. "Rad."

Hakuryuu's phone began to ring. Zagan. He shot Judal an apologetic look, asking with his eyes for permission, and Judal replied it by shoving a mouthful of lo mein into his face and gesturing with his chopsticks.

"Hello, Zagan?" Hakuryuu said into the phone. "What is it?"

"I forgot to mention something when you were here earlier." Zagan's voice through the speaker was all business. "It's about what you buried for me in the park. I think it's time you harvest them and bring them to my friend."


	13. Crypts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judal and Hakuryuu reap what they sewn as tribute to an associate of Zagan’s.

Judal and Hakuryuu took the car to the park rather than walking. For one reason, because they'd need it later to drive across town to the cemetery Zagan's friend called home. For another, because dark clouds threatened rain and obscured the moon. Hakuryuu was grateful for their presence, however. Possible rain meant fewer people out for late-night jogs or dog walks. He wanted to spend as little time as possible hunting for the bits of corpse they’d planted in the park, and keeping a low profile was an important part of that. 

Hakuryuu scanned the park, checking to make sure to there was no one milling about. Overhead, the streetlamp buzzed with tiny moths. Coast looked clear. He got out, and Judal followed suit, flashlight in one hand.

"Do you remember where we buried them exactly?" Hakuryuu asked casually. 

Judal fell to his knees, hands thrown up in despair. "Curse my perfect disguise skills! I've doomed us both!" 

Hakuryuu laughed behind a hand and kicked him gently. "Oh, get up you dramatic ass. I was just asking if you remembered" 

Judal winked and smirked. "I guess I must be a pretty fabulous ass with how much you stare at me then." He hopped back up to his feet, dusting off his knees. "But no, I have no idea where the fuck we buried those things. Behind some bushes, maybe?"

Hakuryuu nodded. "I seem to remember bushes too."

They strode out into the park, fanning apart to search the perimeter for the bushes they (probably) had buried the corpse bits behind. Hakuryuu relied on his phone's flashlight to make up for the lack of moon, but overhead, the clouds shifted ever so slightly in the wind.

Pale moonlight bathed the park in an eerie light, and Hakuryuu heard Judal gasp before calling out to him.

"Shit!" he yelled from across the park. "Hakuryuu come look at this!" 

Hakuryuu jogged to join Judal behind a small line of bushes. There, glimmering in the wan light, was a small outcropping of flowers composed entirely of bone. Their stems, their petals, their leaves- all were bleach-white delicate bones that tinkled softly against one another in the gentle breeze. Judal looked up from the flowers to flash a grin at Hakuryuu. "Okay, I'll give your faerie buddy credit- that's pretty frickin' cool." 

Hakuryuu crouched down, gently reaching out to grab the flowers. They were cool to the touch. With his wooden hand he touched the earth below them, willing their roots to shift and retract and loosen so he could pull them free. They slid from the ground without even disturbing the dirt. After turning them over once in his hands to make sure they were undamaged, he nodded. "All right, let's go."

With that, they left the park and piled back into the car.

* * *

Hakuryuu turned carefully into the cemetery, silently thanking whoever left the gate unlocked, and parked them under the shadows of a drooping, ancient tree. The car remained hidden from any prying eyes, either from the street or within the cemetery, and he made a mental note to keep better track of their route through the cemetery. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened at the park.

Judal nearly bounced out of the car the moment it stopped moving and grinned. “Nice place. Creepy and decrepit and all that good shit! I wonder what kind of fae this guy is, holed up somewhere like this.”

He shrugged and walked around to the trunk, getting out his shovel and passing it to Judal. “All I know is that he’s a friend of Zagan’s, and a potential ally. Please try not to insult him before we even meet him.”

“I’m not gonna,” Judal whined.

Hakuryuu looked over the hills of graves, considering the path ahead of them. If they started to the right, they could probably make a wide loop around to the other side without missing anything important. Curse Zagan for his vagueness; he should have asked for something more specific than just the address. How were they supposed to find-

“Hey, is this your murderin’ shovel?” Judal asked, abruptly pulling Hakuryuu out of his worried thoughts.

“What?”

“You know, for killing people. Or burying them. Whatever, you get it,” he said, and Hakuryuu shook his head.

“I do keep it in my car for practical purposes,” he answered, trying to keep it vague enough that Judal wouldn’t catch on. He didn’t need him harassing him about something so minor when they had more important things to worry about, and Hakuryuu started his trek through the cemetery. They’d find the fae eventually.

Judal skipped along, seemingly content with the answer while they followed a rough footpath through the tombstones. Nothing stuck out as particularly magical, though Hakuryuu kept a sharp lookout. Everything was normal: quiet and serene save for the occasional hoot of an owl or rustling leaves. Hardly the home of a powerful magical being, but Hakuryuu supposed it wasn’t his place to judge. They just had to keep looking.

“So what are supposed to do, dig some graves up?” Judal asked, punctuating it with the shovel. “Though maybe you should do the digging, since it’s your murder shovel and all. For grave digging.”

“You’re not done with that yet, are you?” Hakuryuu sighed and kept moving.

Judal laughed. “Not until it’s dead. Ha! See, that was funny, right?”

“I- What are you even trying to do?”

“You said you were bad at jokes. I’m trying to help!”

“Is this really the time or place? We’re supposed to be looking for Zagan’s friend.” He frowned, looking around them. Nothing out of place, just acres of tombstones and the occasional trees and shrubbery. They’d covered a lot of ground already, but-

"Maybe we're in the wrong spot?" Judal suggested, once again interrupting his train of thought. "It's a pretty big cemetery," 

Hakuryuu hrmmed, and Judal rolled his eyes. "What?"

"You did that thing-" Judal said, crossing his arms. "Where you go 'hrmm' or 'I see' and then fuck off into your own little internal world like you're the super clever protagonist of some grand mystery that only you can solve by hrmming and deliberating over, and I'm your Watson or whatever, and not even the fun canon Watson, like, I'm just the more sexy version of fat, doofy movie Watson." He swung his shovel into a tombstone, not out of anger but just to punctuate his point, or perhaps express his boredom, and Hakuryuu cringed at the awful _clang_ that bounced off the monuments around them. They hadn't seen a single soul all night, but that didn't mean there weren't unseen guards and custodians lurking about. "Maybe let me in on your process, huh? We are friends now, _right?"_ And that line was punctuated with a crooked smile that Hakuryuu couldn't help but return.

"Well. Yes." Hakuryuu felt a little embarrassed. "I guess you're right. Let's get back to the car and try another spot. And give me that shovel," he snatched it from Judal's hands, "it was a mistake to trust you with it."

Judal cackled, bouncing past Hakuryuu. "Thanks! Oh, and sorry if I seemed a little harsh there. I think your inner monologues are cute." 

Had being freed of his one burden been Judal's whole reason to smash the shovel into that gravestone? Hakuryuu pondered this as followed Judal back through the jagged lines of gravestones to their car. Judal opened the trunk for him at least, and Hakuryuu tossed the shovel back inside before passing the boneflowers off to Judal. Then he climbed into the driver's side and shut the door behind himself.

Hakuei climbed in beside him, being sure to buckle herself in before even turning to smile at Hakuryuu. He smiled at her, and she smiled at him, and then Hakuryuu turned around to back the car up onto the main road. Winter had finally been defeated by spring, and all around them were bright green boughs pockmarked with bright blossoms that drifted down to the road as the wind picked up. The car wound its way through the sun-dappled roads with no unnecessary urgency, just the quiet knowledge that they would reach their destination in good, fair time. 

"I'm glad you came home," Hakuei said. "I've wanted to talk to you. Especially after what happened." 

Hakuryuu said nothing, just listened, just focused on the road ahead.

"I know it's been hard. That you did what you felt what you needed. But Hakuryuu…" She sighed, fretting her hands. "You need to let go of your anger. Of your pain. All those things… they will only make you suffer more. This unnecessary killing, all this death… It isn't going to bring them back."

The sun was so golden through the leaves. Weather always seemed so gray where he lived now; had he truly forgotten how harsh the sun could be? Hakuryuu found himself glad for clouds, glad for gray skies that shielded him from such harsh and piercing light. Maybe coming back home was a mistake.

"I have to do it, sister," he said. "You know that."

Hakuei shook her head. "But you don't! You can let that pain and anguish go. You can be at peace. All of us pass and are at peace eventually- why not let that heartbreak go so you can be happy like you were as a child?"

When had he made this stupid decision to come home? Why? He should have known his sister wouldn't understand, wouldn't listen. She didn't listen when he whispered as a frightened child, and she wouldn't listen now that he was an adult. He had better things to be doing, like getting to another part of the cemetery and-

The cemetery.

Hakuryuu whipped his head to look at Hakuei, with her placid, serene face, brow only slightly knit at the center with concern. He looked at his steering wheel, at the dash- the dash of the silver sportscar his uncle had given him for his sixteenth birthday, an unasked for and unwanted gift that had met its end in a ditch somewhere in the middle of the country so that it would be harder to track where Hakuryuu had run after-

His mother.

Judal.

The cemetery. 

"Hakuryuu-" Hakuei, or the figment of her, started again, and Hakuryuu wrenched the steering wheel hard to interrupt whatever she was about to say next. The car went careening over the edge, and Hakuryuu's teeth crashed into each other as he made impact over and over, rolling into a blur. Hakuei wasn't screaming, she was still speaking, calmly, as though she felt none of what he had done.

Hakuryuu forced himself to release the steering wheel and he ground the heels of his palms into his eyes. This wasn't real. It wasn't happening, not anymore. He took a deep breath, and when he lowered his palms, the car had stopped moving. The piercing gleam of the golden sunshine felt like gaudy stage light now, and when he opened the car door it creaked and threatened to come loose. An imitation like this couldn't hold up to true sight. 

He walked forward, and as he came to the edge of this ridiculous otherworld, the air grew thick and hard to breathe. Hakuryuu reached out with his wooden hand and wrenched the thick, smothering curtains of illusion away.

It was dark. 

Hakuryuu waited for a moment, ears pricked and eyes watching for any sign that there might be further visions to overcome. When the darkness offered no answer except itself, Hakuryuu stepped into it. His footsteps seemed to be swallowed up by the sepulchral gloom itself, but it felt real, or at least, real enough. Up and down had no meaning, and Hakuryuu began to fear he may be going in circles. He quickened his pace a little. 

If this was another illusion, what memory was this? Hakuryuu had never really known absolute darkness except of the most melodramatic, emotional sort, and he was loathe to think that whatever had conjured up the illusions from before would be so unimaginative as to show him some hackneyed, cliche "darkness of his own heart" sort of thing after pulling out all the stops on the first visions. So what then? What was this strange netherworld, and how much longer would he have to wander it before he'd be able to find some seam to pull it apart? 

He tripped hard into some huddled knee high lump and swore. 

"What in the world was…" Hakuryuu squinted through the gloom, his eyes straining to make out the figure. "Judal?!" 

Judal didn't respond. 

Hakuryuu crouched down and shook Judal hard. "Judal. Snap out of it. We don't have time to play whatever mind game this fae is- Come on, you're more of a stubborn ass than this." 

Judal bit his lip, mumbling something incoherent. Could he hear him? Hakuryuu shook him again, hoping he'd get another response. 

"Are you talking to me, or are you just stuck in some illusion?" Hakuryuu asked. Judal just kept mumbling, eyes cast down, and Hakuryuu sighed heavily. No answers or aid seemed to be forthcoming from Judal. If it even was Judal. Hakuryuu flopped onto his butt and looked up at the darkened sky-

And the sky stared back.

The sky, a teaming, heaving coil of darkness writhed its eyeless watching straight into Hakuryuu's soul, and Hakuryuu felt sick unto his core at its wrongness. Vertigo overtook him, and he opened his mouth to scream some terror or aggression at it, but the fetid, writhing wrongness of the sky swallowed it up, and there was no sound and there was no sky and the floor was falling away beneath him and-

"Jeez, Hakuryuu, way to be a princess!"

Judal caught Hakuryuu with an arm around his waist, and somehow there was ground again, land again. Hakuryuu took a gasping breath, staring up at Judal: no longer was he frightened or shaking, unable to face whatever horror swirled above. Now he was grinning, bloodsplattered and fierce, and he pointed a twisted black wand at the turbulent sky. Hakuryuu glanced back at where Judal had been, except that he was still there. Sort of. That Judal, that frightened and shaking man, lay in a broken, bloody heap now. 

Hakuryuu looked back to the Judal holding him now. He didn't want to see him broken or afraid anymore. Judal answered the question in his eyes with a shrug and a scoff, and then turned his gaze up to the sky.

"I don't think you're the real Il Illah," he shouted, "but I don't really care. You'll make good target practice either way!" 

The sky answered back with a roar that was not heard but felt, and Judal's wand crackled to life with a power and maleficence that seemed to drain all the color from the world, concentrating it to a single point of force that Judal fired off at the sky with a shout and a flick of his wrist. It ripped through the air, sending waves of magical power shimmering out through the illusory landscape as it went. Yet, just as the sky and spell were set to meet, the sky was pulled away like a table cloth, folding away into near nothingness. The spell crashed into the new ceiling instead, raining fragments of bone down upon the two of them. 

Judal coughed and bristled. "What the hell?" 

"That will be quite enough," said a officious voice, and the two looked up. The speaker towered over them, and Judal and Hakuryuu had to crane their necks to look at his face. "Zagan told me you would be coming." 

"Is this how you greet all your guests?" Judal screeched, summoning power for another assault. Hakuryuu grabbed his arm and gave him a harsh look. When Judal opened his mouth to protest, Hakuryuu squeezed harder. "Fine," Judal snapped, and the power faded away.

The figure that towered over them spoke again with a wave of his hand. "I am not much one for guests. I am entertaining you only upon Zagan's most piteous request for a favor." Hakuryuu had never seen any person convey contempt as thoroughly as this man. "I am Belial, Lord of the Ossuary and Enemy of the Profane. For what business has Zagan sent you?"

Hakuryuu stepped forward, gesturing to himself and Judal. "I am Hakuryuu, a boonkeeper and vassal of Zagan's. He has sent me here to ask you to bestow upon me a boon, so that I might be further emboldened in my quest to rid the world of Al Tharman." 

Belial considered Hakuryuu, then flicked his five eyes to Judal. "And him?" 

"I'm Judal," he replied, "and I think you're an asshole." 

Belial's eyes twitched in annoyance, and Hakuryuu regretted ever letting Judal out of the closet. "Please forgive him. He… He doesn't speak for Zagan. He's my, erm-"

"Partner," Judal offered. "We're very close."

Hakuryuu resisted the urge to keep trying to explain himself. It would only give Judal more options to be an ass. Belial raised a thoughtful hand to his chin, and as he did, Hakuryuu realized that the bones around Belial- strange, arching white ribs and spires of creatures unknown- were in fact a part of him. He forced himself to move on. 

"We come bearing these." Somehow the bone flowers had found their way back into his hands, and he offered them up to Belial. 

"Zagan expects something like this will be enough of a bribe that I would give you my power?" Belial scoffed, plucking one of the flowers from Hakuryuu's hands. He twirled it between two fingers, all of his eyes trained upon it. "What a meager offering for the burden of dealing with humans." 

Hakuryuu felt his heart sink, but he refused to be deterred. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Judal beat him to it. "If you don't like it that much, then don't take it." Judal draped himself over Hakuryuu's shoulders and thrust a hand out to Belial. "No sense keeping something that isn't worth anything to you!" 

Belial flicked his gaze from the flower to Judal's palm. Judal made a grasping motion at him, and in reply, Belial gripped the flower a little tighter. "I did not say it was worthless. I simply said that it was not a very good bribe. What you brought me, however…" 

In his other hand, Belial raised the folded, teaming blackness of the sky, yearning to break free. Judal's grip on Hakuryuu's shoulder tightened, and he sucked in a breath.

"This is a much more interesting prize. It is an illusion, yes, but illusions have their power as well. An image of Il Illah as complete as this is a powerful thing to have." Belial closed his hands around both gifts, and when he opened them again, they had vanished. "I am no ally to that thing, and knowing that there are foolish humans that would seek its resurrection disturbs me deeply. For this reason, and these gifts, I will help you." 

Hakuryuu let out a sigh and smiled, bowing his head. "Thank you for your generosity."

Belial waved a hand, dismissing the thought. "It is pragmatism, not generosity. Do not think me fond of either of you." 

Hakuryuu could feel the way that Judal tensed, ready to open his mouth to say something rude _again,_ so he reached back blindly and covered his mouth. "Regardless of your reasons, I thank you. I don't need unnecessary fondness, just your support." 

Belial reached down and touched Hakuryuu's forehead with a single nail, and his mind was full of illusions and sound and the smell of dust on bones. He crumpled into Judal, who scrambled to grab hold and keep him from wiping out. 

"Hey," Judal shouted, "what the fuck! What did you do-" 

Belial's vast hand tucked a spare bit of hair behind Judal's ear, and Judal went cold at the touch. The fae was unbothered by his screeching, by his threats, and the feeling of insignificance that his vast form gave Judal filled him with rage. Yet he could not speak, could not fight. Belial's gaunt, massive hand gripped his jaw with gentle purpose. 

"And for you, who gave me such a valuable gift… A boon of your own."

* * *

Judal awoke with a jolt, nearly hitting his head on the car roof. "Fuck! Hakuryuu-" he glanced over, and Hakuryuu was stirring as well, picking himself up off the steering wheel and rubbing his face with both hands. "You okay?"

Hakuryuu nodded, licking the inside of his mouth in a desperate attempt to remoisten it. "Yes, I'm fine, Judal. All things considered, that could have been a lot worse."

Judal opened his mouth to shout that like hell it could have been worse, and to say all sorts of nasty things about Belial. But he didn't. He shut it again and shrugged. "I guess your worry-wort ways are just rubbing off on me." He leaned back in the chair and stared up at the roof of the car. "You have nice dreams after you blacked out from getting your boon there?"

Hakuryuu fumbled his phone out of his pocket and fidgeted with it instead of answering. It was a newer phone, picked up in the last six months, with a new number and a new carrier, and only the contacts and emotional baggage to tie it to his old life. He looked at his sister's name in the contact list before closing it. "I don't see much point in dwelling on whatever I saw right now. If you're that curious, we can talk about it later." He looked over at Judal and tried to force on a smile. "Let's go home for now, shall we?"

Judal shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Sounds good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd we're back, babes! Did you miss us? Drop a comment to let us know what you liked if you have the time, and thanks as always for taking the time to read.


	14. A Fascinating Morsel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakuryuu experiments with Belial’s boon, and Judal digs in.

Hakuryuu exhaled, counting out slow seconds to make his breath and mind quiet. Over the years, he had gotten used to feeling Zagan's borrowed magic. It coursed through his wooden arm and thrummed in the air around the plants he kept in his windowbox as an offering and symbol of their pact. Zagan's life magic was bright and joyous, like a spring breeze after a long winter. 

Tuning into his new gift from Belial was proving to be a different sort of challenge. It wasn't necessarily _hard,_ but the strange grave-magic played tricks on his senses when he tried to channel it. Hakuryuu took another slow breath and then exhaled once more, meditative. When he opened his eyes again, the room felt still, each creature contained within its own sphere of thought and existence. Where Zagan was wild growth and abandon, Belial was harsh absolutes and lines: life and death, self and other, truth and falsehood. 

A starling landed in the window box, and Hakuryuu fixed his attention on it. The bird stilled and gave its mind over to Hakuryuu. Through its memories, he could see the vast blue of the sky and the delicious crunch of an abandoned french fry. Hakuryuu outstretched his hand, and the bird fluttered in through the open window to sit in it. Reality, Hakuryuu realized with a slow smile, was made as much of perception as it was of things that were actually true. The french fry in the bird's memory became a potato chip. The bird saw him as no threat. Perception, and thus reality, had become his plaything.

"Sup, Cinderella. How's your practice going?"

Hakuryuu had grown used to Judal creeping up behind him. "Why are you in my room, Judal?" he asked, slowly looking over his shoulder. 

Judal grinned at him and shrugged. "Door was open."

"Was it?"

"It was open after I opened it," Judal replied, unrepentant. He walked over and sat next to Hakuryuu, reaching out a finger to pet the starling in his hand. "So what, does your boon from Belial turn you into a Disney Princess, friend to all animals?"

"Hardly." Hakuryuu made the starling flutter from his hand to sit on Judal's shoulder, and Judal looked positively enchanted to have the bird's attention. "It allows me to manipulate the minds of the creatures around me and influence their perception of the world." 

Judal looked disappointed. "So it doesn't shoot lightning or give you any super special badass new spells?" he scoffed. "What a shitty gift." 

"No," Hakuryuu said slowly, shaking his head. "No, this is useful. Far more useful than some cartoonish super attack." He glanced sidelong at Judal, watching how he balanced on the edge of his bed like the bird balanced on his shoulder. "What did Belial give you, then, that you're so on my case?" 

Judal grinned widely. "No fucking clue. My head feels all fuzzed out any time I try to concentrate on it."

Hakuryuu sighed heavily. "Of course." Was Judal being honest, or just evasive? Hakuryuu wasn't sure. He guided the starling back out of the window. Apparently he wasn't going to get much more time to practice on his own. "So did you just want to see what my boon was, or did you have something else you wanted?"

"Oooh, so cold! Haven't we gotten past this stage?" Judal watched Hakuryuu get up and shut his bedroom window. "And yeah, I just kind of wanted to see what your magic shit was. I like magic shit, so I was curious." 

"I'm not being cold, I just don't like having people in my room." Hakuryuu smiled at Judal. "Why don't we go sit in the living room?"

"I guess." Judal hopped back up to his feet and stretched in one fluid motion. Hakuryuu lead the way back down the short hallway to the living room, and Judal padded after him. "So you have Belial's mind fuck boon now, and Zagan's does… plant stuff?

"That's a simplification, but yes."

"You should show me some!" Judal flung an arm over Hakuryuu's shoulder and grinned at him. 

"I thought you would have seen your fill after our last... disagreement." Hakuryuu raised an eyebrow to and glanced sidelong at Judal.

Judal's smile was as impenetrable as ever. "Humor me." 

Hakuryuu sighed and went the rest of the way into the kitchen, where he had more small plants in a window box. "At it's basest, my magic from Zagan lets me manipulate the flow of life energy through plants." He ran his wooden hand over one of the plants that was looking a little wilted, and the leaves regained their brilliant hue, uncrinkling and folding back out to their full splendor. Judal ooo'ed over this, leaning over Hakuryuu's shoulder to watch. "But just making plants grow or die is of little practical use outside of gardening, and so, I learned both on my own and through Zagan's tutelage how to manipulate that flow of energy in other ways."

"Like rotting the corpses of your victims," Judal said, his voice low and dangerous. 

"Or healing your wounds," Hakuryuu countered. Judal's breath felt hot on the back of his neck, and it wasn't entirely unpleasant. "Why the sudden interest in hearing me repeat things you already know?"

Judal laid a gentle kiss on the back of Hakuryuu's neck, and Hakuryuu could feel his lips smile wider against the tingling skin there. "I had been watching you practice for longer than you realized. You were so focused." He laughed. "I suppose I have a thing for power!" 

Hakuryuu turned around, looking at Judal. He smiled back like a mountain lion, all lazy danger with no need to rush a game it was obviously having fun with. Hakuryuu stared him down, unintimidated. He had, by now, gotten used to Judal's looks. Something about keeping a man locked in a closet for a few days makes you feel more in control and less beholden to their tricks. "So you wanted me to show you my magic so you could have something to fantasize about later?"

Judal shrugged. "Maybe I'm just living vicariously through you. I've barely done any magic since I left Al Tharman." He carded a hand through the air, and Hakuryuu could see it ensnaring magical energy as it moved. "Getting to see you in action has really twisted the knife. I miss it." 

Hakuryuu watched Judal weave the magic in the air until it was a knotted, glowing ball of power in his hand. "And before you left?" he asked. 

Judal rolled the ball of power back and forth over his hand like a contact juggler. Hakuryuu bit back the word 'showoff.' "Well, I almost never walked anywhere, for one. Why walk when you can fly?" Hakuryuu realized that Judal's eyes were no longer trained on him, but instead on the ball of magic. His prey had changed for the time being. "But killing, mostly. Mostly I did killing. And not discreet, friendly killing- the nasty kind that makes people wish they'd never been born. Or that has to be written off as some freak accident act of god because why the fuck else would that dude have ended up so fucking dead?" Judal transferred the ball from one hand to the other. "And I helped out with bullshit rituals and stuff. The higher ups liked me." 

Hakuryuu nodded, and a dubious eyebrow raised almost against his will. "How exactly did you get the higher ups to like you? They're a rather insular group." 

"I guess they just had a fondness for me. I mean, you're from there too. Not a lot of little rugrat shits running around for them to project their hopes and dreams on." Judal tossed the ball of magic into the air, and as it tumbled it took on more and more energy. "You know how those geezers are." 

Hakuryuu bit back another question about Judal's past. It was hard to overcome his months of suspicion, but he and Judal were partners now. Partners had to trust each other, and, besides, he had learned that some things Judal _couldn't _talk about. "No. My mother held me in contempt, and the rest of Al Tharman ignored me. I don't have much of a natural gift for magic. Without Zagan, I wouldn't be nearly as powerful as I am now."__

__Judal snatched the ball from the air as it fell, whipping his wrist as he transformed it from a ball of light to a tightly formed knife that shimmered and crackled with raw power. "But you got Zagan, and made out pretty good in the deal, I'd say. So you are powerful." He leaned in close, one hand resting on the lip of the counter behind Hakuryuu. The knife trailed close as well, Judal stroking Hakuryuu's cheek with the flat of it._ _

__Hakuryuu laughed a little, not breaking eye contact. "Only you could make a compliment sound like a threat." He glanced unworriedly at the knife. "Just what are you planning on doing with that?"_ _

__"Good question," Judal said. "Not sure yet. Although..." The knife trailed slowly down Hakuryuu's neck and over his collarbone, and he realized it was tracing the edge of his scar. "I've been thinking for a while about that time I ate the guy from Al Tharman. Real waste, honestly. Like it tasted okay for what it was, but..." He dragged the knife back up Hakuryuu's chest. "I'd rather it be you I was eating."_ _

__Hakuryuu didn't flinch. "Me."_ _

__"Yeah, you." Judal traced the knife along Hakuryuu's jaw now, and Hakuryuu forced his breath even. "You're powerful, fascinating, beautiful. I like you. Why waste my tastebuds on some worthless fuck from Al Tharman?"_ _

__"You do know that I'm still using my flesh, don't you Judal?" Hakuryuu said, his tone dry but amused. "It's not just there for you to snack on when you get bored."_ _

__"But it shouldn't be a problem for you though, right?" Judal pressed the knife into Hakuryuu's cheek with just enough force to break the skin. "You've proved that you can heal things without it being a problem. Or do you doubt your abilities?"_ _

__In the back of his mind, Hakuryuu realized he should probably be more concerned about all of this, but instead of worrying he just found himself curious to see where this would go next. He took Judal's wrist and moved the knife to the flesh of his arm. "Fine. If that's really what you want." He looked away, closing his eyes. "Just try not to make too much of a mess."_ _

__Judal took his free hand and tipped Hakuryuu's face back towards him. "Don't just look away."_ _

__The intensity in his voice startled Hakuryuu, and he stared into Judal's eyes, half-lidded but burning with an unnatural fire. Hakuryuu swallowed thickly, determined not to be bested in whatever game this was. "You're so demanding. But if that's what you want."_ _

__Judal smiled and made the first cut._ _

__The knife stung, just like any knife would when it sliced into his arm. Hakuryuu hissed a little in pain, and either at the sound or the sight, Judal made a pleased noise. As Hakuryuu watched Judal's measured, perfect knife cuts, he found there was a certain hypnotic quality to the whole experience. Judal was like an artist with a knife, and Hakuryuu could see now why he was so prized for his ability to kill. But this- this was not injury for death's sake. He watched as Judal worked, and his mind drifted away to other thoughts, perhaps to escape the pain. It made him think of being young, of having to deal with the exhausting pain of healing his fractured body after the fire. It made him think of being strong, and an adult, and slicing open Al Tharman dogs to fill them with the seeds that would take their life to make something more beautiful in its place._ _

__Judal dug his fingers into the wound and wrenched, and Hakuryuu clutched the counter behind him. The pain was different- raw and visceral and rough, Judal's thin fingers trying to worm their way under the meat of his arm to rip it away. Hakuryuu cried out, just a little, a thin sheen of pain-fueled sweat breaking out on his brow. But he didn't look away. He watched as his flesh, only so much meat and skin and ripping fascia clenched in Judal's fist, tore away from the bone._ _

__"It's all right, Hakuryuu," Judal whispered, and his voice sounded painfully tender. His fingers had not stopped moving, and Hakuryuu screamed when he wrenched again and there was a horrible sound of connective tissue tearing. "You're fine. Just breathe."_ _

__"I know that," Hakuryuu growled, lifting his head to look Judal in the eyes. He released the counter and grabbed the front of Judal's shirt. They met in a kiss, rough and passionate, and Hakuryuu was so distracted by that that he could almost ignore as Judal ripped the hunk of his arm free. The wound felt cold as they broke the kiss, and Hakuryuu turned his head to stare. There was so much blood, smeared above and around and flowing freely down his arm onto the tile below. He looked back up at Judal just in time to see him bring the hunk of meat to his lips and take a single delicate bite._ _

__Judal practically purred in pleasure at the taste. "Just like I thought," he said. "You taste far sweeter than that Al Tharman trash."_ _

__Hakuryuu laughed a little, his voice wheezy from the pain. "You're so disgusting."_ _

__"Oh, you know it's part of my charm." He took another slow, luxurious bite, staring into Hakuryuu's eyes. "I'm the gross one, the vilely violent one, and you're the righteous avenging angel or whatever." He chewed slowly, blood dribbling down his chin. "I can take your flack from now on, chew out all the things in you that are broken or wounded or festered until you're just a ball of fury and purpose and power, set to destroy all the things that would feast on us if we gave them the chance. I'll support you and chew all of the rancid bits out of your heart and head so you can flourish once more."_ _

__Hakuryuu smiled a little more, and reached out with his wooden hand to touch Judal's hair softly. It was a seductive image, to be sure, to let Judal claw out all the guilt and pain and broken things inside him so he could be clean once more, to think that there was a way that new life could blossom forth from his black, hate-filled soul. And yet… "You know I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty. I don't care how stained people think I am when there's more important things to be done."_ _

__Judal turned his head and pressed a bloody kiss into Hakuryuu's hand. "I know. That's why I'm still here."_ _

__Hakuryuu clenched his hand in Judal's hair and gently pulled him in for another kiss. It tasted like blood, and this time Judal was all teeth, nipping at his lips as though he was hungry to taste even more of Hakuryuu. Hakuryuu was startled by how much he didn't mind the thought. They parted with a gasp, and Hakuryuu released Judal's hair to cling instead to his shoulder._ _

__Judal slowly ripped off more bites with his teeth, chewing each with purpose as rivulets of blood ran down his chin. When the meat was gone, he licked his hands clean with purpose. Hakuryuu shuddered and wondered what he was going to do now._ _

__Judal took Hakuryuu's wounded arm arm and kissed it gently, first at the wrist and then moving slowly up, licking blood away as he went. His mouth was not fast enough to keep up with the steady flow of red from the wound, though. Hakuryuu shuddered as his lips danced over the edge of it._ _

__"Are you going to eat my flesh straight from my body now?" he asked, teasing. He was lightheaded from the possibility, and also possibly the blood loss and pain._ _

__"Maybe next time." Judal settled for just placing a kiss there. "You should heal up for now. Don't want you bleeding out."_ _

__Hakuryuu nodded, and lifted his uninjured hand to the wound, weaving life magic from the air and into it. Vines sprouted lightly from his palm, feeding magic into the hole, and Judal hopped up on the counter next to him to watch, curling a hand in Hakuryuu's hair protectively. The wound would take longer than just a few minutes of magic to heal properly, but he could at least knit the flesh together so that there wasn't an exposed and vulnerable hole in him. Judal hummed softly while he worked._ _

__"I made a mess," he said proudly._ _

__"Yes," Hakuryuu replied. "You did." And yet, Hakuryuu realized, he didn't mind. Judal was simply someone who made messes, and that was fine. Wanting him to be anything else simply wasn't sense worthy. "You shouldn't look so damn proud of yourself."_ _

__"And yet, I am!" Judal ruffled Hakuryuu's hair once more before letting go, and Hakuryuu could feel it stick to his palm from the smattering of blood that Judal hadn't cleaned from his hands. He was going to need a shower after this. They both would. There was, for a moment, the temptation to invite Judal to shower with him, but Hakuryuu thought better of it._ _

__"I'm going to freshen up," he said, when the wound was stitched enough to not bleed anymore. "I feel... not disgusting, but definitely bloody. Very, very bloody."_ _

__Judal nodded. "That's fair. I'll probably take one when you're done." He cocked his head to the side, but it took until Hakuryuu was almost around the corner before he thought of what to say. "You know, you're really something amazing. Death and creation all in one, like some sort of Vedic deity or pre-teen's deviantArt drawing."_ _

__Hakuryuu paused and looked back. "They didn't let you watch TV, but they let you on the internet?"_ _

__"They were monsters, not animals, Hakuryuu," Judal laughed. "Besides, it was the first thing I did after I got out."_ _

__Hakuryuu couldn't help it- he laughed loud and long at that, bending over and leaning on the wall for support. Maybe it was the blood loss, or maybe it was the act of intimacy that being devoured had allowed, but there was something about all this that made his apartment, his fortress of war against Al Tharman, feel like a warm home for the first time since he had moved in._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the first instance of consensual cannibalism was as sweet as you all had hoped it would be. Starting with today's update, _Wither, Flourish, and Feast_ will be going on a bi-weekly updating schedule, with new chapters every other Sunday. We have some backlog pre-written, and more being worked on even as you read this, probably. Thanks so much for all your patience!


	15. Roots Run Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakuryuu pays a personal call to Zagan, and Judal and Hakuryuu have a difference of opinions.

Hakuryuu's arm ached for the next few days, but there was something pleasant about the pain. Any time he jostled it, the slight radiation of discomfort left him smiling from the surprisingly fond memory of Judal's bloody grin as he devoured his flesh.

In hindsight, Hakuryuu wished he'd done more than just kiss him.

He went to visit Zagan later that week, not out of duty or a need for advice, but simply because it felt like the right thing to do. Zagan looked surprised when he answered the door.

"Did you need something?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe and looking down his nose at Hakuryuu. 

Hakuryuu shook his head. "You're always harping on me for never calling or visiting unless summoned or if I need something, so I thought I would visit. And I thought you might like to know how things went with Belial. May I come in?" 

Zagan's surprised expression did not move, but he stepped aside, beckoning Hakuryuu through the doorway. Hakuryuu stepped through it and paused to take a deep breath. It smelled of wood and dirt and magic and flowers, comforting and familiar. With how warm his own house had felt the last few days, he seemed even more aware now of how much Zagan's house felt like an old home to him. Zagan watched him curiously, shutting the door behind him.

"You seem different," he said. "Was Belial's boon really that impressive that you grew a sense of inner peace?"

Hakuryuu smiled. "No, in fact going to see him was the worst time I've had in awhile." He walked through the hall and into Zagan's bright, sunny kitchen. "Do you mind if I make us some tea?" 

"Go right ahead." 

Zagan trailed a ways behind Hakuryuu, looking him up and down. Hakuryuu didn't mind the inquisitive looks. After all, he was feeling uncharacteristically cheery, and "cheery" was not a word that anyone had used to describe him in a long time. He would have to expect that Zagan would gawk at him like a two-headed circus freak.

"You were right," he admitted begrudgingly. "It's been better. Having Judal around. Apparently I'm not above the need for human company, and having him by my side has made things a lot easier. I'm happy with him there."

"Ooooh?" Zagan came up behind Hakuryuu to twist a finger in the loose strand of hair that dangled in front of Hakuryuu's ear. "I was about to ask if you had gotten laid."

Hakuryuu jumped. "What?!" 

"Is that not what you were just saying happened?" Zagan blinked, and Hakuryuu was stunned that someone so devious could even pretend at innocence. He made a mental note never let Judal and Zagan become friends.

"It is absolutely not. I meant that it's been good to have another person around. That's all." Zagan kept staring, and Hakuryuu coughed. "Well. We've kissed some, but nothing else."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing." And then Hakuryuu paused again. "Well. He ate a chunk of my arm the other day, but I don't think that really counts anywhere near the realm of 'sexy things I have done with the ex-cultist I have become close to against my better judgement.'" 

Zagan laughed. "Why does that strike me as the closest to actual physical intimacy you could manage?" 

Hakuryuu frowned, brushing Zagan's hand away and returning to his task. Zagan's kitchen was exactly as it always was, exactly as he had remembered it. He set the kettle on the stove and measured out the coarsely cut tea leaves from a mason jar. Zagan's own personal blend was fragrant and supplemented with blossoms from the garden. Did Judal like tea? Perhaps he could bribe Zagan with something else to bring home some of his tea. 

"You can laugh all you want," Hakuryuu said, going to sit at the table now that the preparation was done, "but I'm happy. Surprising as that might be." He touched his arm lightly. The ache was almost entirely gone now. "He's sweet. And he has a lot of useful skills." 

"That's good," Zagan said, sitting down with Hakuryuu. "He felt powerful." 

Hakuryuu nodded. "I should get him an actual cell phone. I told him he wasn't allowed out of my sight at first, but honestly that's impractical now. It would be much better if we could stay in touch even when I'm out of the house." 

"Speaking of being out and about," Zagan segued inelegantly, "you mentioned Belial. How _did_ things go?"

Hakuryuu made a face. "Badly." But then he sighed, tension leaving his shoulders a little. "Well. Not entirely badly. It was an unpleasant experience, but I got something useful in the end." The kettle began to whistle on the stove, and Hakuryuu got up. Zagan waited with surprising patience as Hakuryuu poured the hot water over the leaves in their cups before coming back to the table. "He gave Judal something as well. I'm not certain what." 

Zagan narrowed his eyes at that, gingerly taking the tea so he could swish the leaves around in it as it steeped. "Did he."

Hakuryuu nodded. "Yes. He took an image of Il Illah from Judal's memories in exchange. Or some facsimile of Il Illah. I wasn't entirely sure." He wished that the tea was ready so he would have something to busy his hands with. "I thought that Il Illah was just some of my mother's nonsense, but Judal is quite convinced it's real." 

Zagan hmmed, but said nothing else. 

"I mean..." Hakuryuu made an aggravated little noise. "I knew their magic was real. And I suppose it makes sense there is some sort of nefarious power on the other side of it. But I never wanted to believe that her foolish fairy tale of some all mighty god smiling down upon her was real. It didn't seem right, as though her way of thinking is something more than just nonsense she fabricated to prop up her own wrong-doing. But Judal thinks that Il Illah, or something they at least _call_ Il Illah is real, and actually threatening to be revived."

"And here I thought this was a social call," Zagan teased. Hakuryuu opened his mouth to protest or apologize, and Zagan waved a hand to silence him again. "No, it's fine. I know that you're just working through these thoughts as they come to you." He took an experimental sip of his tea and made a face. Not nearly steeped enough. "Part of why I helped you at first was because I had been... aware of your mother's activities before we became acquainted." 

Hakuryuu nodded slowly. "You had mentioned. You said she was not friend to you, or any who live. It was rather dramatic."

"Yes." Zagan tapped his long nails on the rim of his teacup. "That thing she calls a god... It sleeps for a reason, sealed away from reason and thought and that which can be known. I don't know how she found out about it, and any theory I have is not a good one." 

"You knew about Il Illah?" Hakuryuu wasn't sure if he should be surprised, but he certainly felt that way, and a smidge betrayed besides. Fae were known to be fickle, and to withhold information, and Zagan was fond of doing both of these things. But to think he hadn't said anything until this point... "Why didn't you say something?!" 

Zagan waved a hand. "I had nothing worth sharing. Nothing I know about that thing is helpful in vanquishing it, and I have no idea what that woman is doing to make contact with it. Sharing what I knew would have only served to make me seem more suspect in your eyes. All I know is that it is dangerous, and that if it gets loose, we are going to be in deep, deep trouble." 

Hakuryuu took a sip of his tea, and found it steeped enough to be palatable. "I suppose that's fair." He sighed and tried to bring the subject back to Belial and Il Illah. "You seemed concerned that Belial gave Judal a boon."

"Belial isn't very generous." 

"I noticed." 

"I worry what he might be planning with the image he took as payment, and also what someone like Judal might do when given access to Belial's power."

Hakuryuu took another sip of tea. He should probably sweeten it with honey or sugar, but right now he was too focused on the conversation at hand. The tea was a convenient prop to the conversation's purpose. "Judal said he didn't know what Belial had given him, so either he hasn't explored it, can't explore it, or is lying to me. He... He's been more honest lately, though, so I don't think it's the last one." 

Zagan hrmmed, running a hand through his long pale locks. "I don't know. It's possible that whatever gift Belial gave him is presently unavailable, or at least challenging. He doesn't seem very skilled in life magic." 

"I suppose we'll just have to wait and see then." Hakuryuu folded his arms and looked up at the ceiling. With every thread that fell into place, the tapestry of Al Tharman's intentions seemed to grow more and more snarled. Judal, their lost killer. His mother, and her mad god. He would need to change his tactics to change anything. Even in death, his mother mocked him with the breadth of her schemes. At least he was no longer alone.

* * *

"I'm home," Hakuryuu said as he pushed open the door to the apartment, carefully balancing a shopping bag full of tea and fruit that Zagan had absolutely insisted he take. "Zagan sends his regards." 

Judal looked up from the Al Tharman papers he'd been reading at the dining room table. "Oh, hey, Hakuryuu, welcome back. What's in the bag?" 

"Presents from Zagan." He set the bag down on the counter and began to unpack everything. "You like fruit, right? He gave us a bunch."

"Is it weird cursed fairy fruit?"

"Not as far as I know." 

"Ooooh." Judal got up and forced his way into Hakuryuu's space, cat like. Hakuryuu tried to step aside to let him into the bag, but he just pressed closer again. "Man you made out like a bandit! Did you suck his dick or something? He's usually so stingy!" 

"What is with everyone assuming I've been handing out sexual favors?" Hakuryuu put the tea away in a cabinet. 

Judal shrugged as he continued to pick fruits out of the bag. "Maybe we're all just awakening to your comely charms and feel the need to comment on our newfound attraction." 

"Oh, it's newfound?" Hakuryuu elbowed Judal. "I'll have you know I'm quite attractive." 

Judal cackled, sweeping his chosen fruits into his shirt so he could carry them back to the table. "Ohh, so you do know! Good, good. Confidence is sexy." He picked up a fat peach and bit into it, juice dribbling all down his chin and hand. 

"Unlike how you eat fruit," Hakuryuu teased. 

Judal stuck out his tongue and took another bite of his peach. "I eat to enjoy tasty shit, not so people can oggle me." 

"Well then let me assure you it's working." Hakuryuu picked up what Judal had been reading over. Just another dossier. "Did you learn anything interesting while I was gone?"

"Not really. Sorted out a few more I know are dead. You left before I did, so a lot of this stuff is out of date." Judal tapped a sticky finger on the stack of papers he hadn't gone through yet. "I'm gonna go through all of these though, so you're welcome."

Hakuryuu smiled. "Thank you. I can tell this isn't your usual sort of work, so it means a lot that you're trying so hard." They sat quietly for a moment, Hakuryuu listening to Judal scarf down his peach and thinking about things. "I talked about this some with Zagan, too. Everything seems so much more complicated than I'd initially realized. Even if Ithnan wasn't sent after me, the fact that he came out here after you means that they have plans worth following through on that they need you for." 

"Or they just don't want me as a liability." 

Hakuryuu sighed. "I suppose that is true. But he said it was 'time for you to come home.' That doesn't sound like he was sent to eliminate you." 

Judal grunted and shuddered. "Look, that place isn't my home. Ithnan can suck a fuck, oh wait he can't cuz he's _dead."_ Judal crumbled up the paper he'd been reading and flung it at the trash can. "Why are we wasting time talking about this? It's not like I know anything." 

"I know," Hakuryuu said, realizing that Judal was uncomfortable. "I just... If there's something bigger at play, we need to figure out what it is." They sat in tense silence, and Hakuryuu raked his hands through his head. "At least my mother is dead." 

Judal raised an eyebrow. "Hah, what?"

"I- I said at least my mother is dead." 

"No she isn't." 

The two of them stared at each other over the dinner table, neither of them budging in their looks of certainty and incredulity. Hakuryuu could feel the hair on the back of his neck begin to stand on end. When he could bear the silence no loner, he broke the silence slowly.

"I killed my mother. I cut off her head. And then I took that box of documents from her office and ran away. She's been dead for a long time now."

"Bullshit you did," Judal spat back. "Because the night before I left she came and fucking hit on me with her whole routine of being all touchy and giving me that 'Judal you're so important to Our Father~ Don't you feel blessed?' bullshit." He leaned across the table. "I've known your mom since I was shitting my diapers. I'm pretty sure I'd recognize if she was a fake." 

They fell into silence again. Hakuryuu chewed over Judal's words. If that was true- then who had he killed? And if it wasn't, then who the hell was sitting on the throne of his mother's organization? 

"Say something!" Judal snapped. "You're freaking me out here, like. You gotta say you didn't kill her now, cuz I'm right." 

"I'm not sure," Hakuryuu replied slowly. He couldn't give in to Judal's fury or panic. "I know what I did. But you know what you saw. We have to think about this logically and try to-"

"Look, Hakuryuu, the answer seems pretty clear to me! Either one of us- probably you- is wrong, or your mom can somehow return from the dead like the horrible nightmare bitch she is." Judal paused at that, sitting back into his seat. "...shit." He got up and vanished into the kitchen, and Hakuryuu could hear him run the faucet and splash water onto his face. Hakuryuu then watched Judal as he crossed back out of the kitchen and over to the sofa, where he picked up a cushion, covered his face in it, and screamed a few more creative obscenities.

"Are you done?" 

"I'll be done when I feel like it," came the cushioned-muffled reply. Judal lifted his head out of the cushion. "Are you _not_ freaking out over the possibility of your mother being some sort of unkillable evil that lurks in the hearts of men or some bullshit? Cuz like, I'd think that throws a pretty big wrench in your whole 'kill all of Al Tharman' plan." 

Hakuryuu scowled, because that was his way of not showing how honestly worried he felt. The more Judal hinted around his past with Al Tharman, the clearer it became that yes, if anyone would recognize his mother as the genuine article, it would be him. And if Judal was certain that Gyokuen was still alive... "Panicking will get us nowhere. We need answers before we can do anything else." Judal opened his mouth to yell again, but Hakuryuu cut him off. "That doesn't mean I'm not worried! Do you think I'm not? My whole life was built around the idea that I would kill my mother and avenge the undue deaths of my brothers. How do you think I feel finding out that she's still alive?" 

Judal stared at him, his mouth slightly agog. "Are... are you crying?" 

Hakuryuu wiped a hand at his eyes, hating how hot and wet they were. After all these years, still a crybaby. He had hoped to never seem this weak in front of Judal. Not before, and certainly not now when they had reached some sort of arrangement. And yet the tears wouldn't stop.

"I. I don't know what to do with this." Judal looked around and then back at Hakuryuu. "Stop that. Stop crying." 

"Don't you think I would if I could?" Hakuryuu shouted back, the tears overflowing. He buried his face in his arms and devolved into angry, wordless sobs.

Judal stared at Hakuryuu and looked around the apartment for answers. It suddenly felt more claustrophobic than the hall closet had felt. He didn't know what to do with this! He wasn't made to comfort people! And yet there was Hakuryuu, sobbing inconsolably at the table because of shit that neither of them had any control over. Judal set the couch cushion down and picked up the blanket he'd been sleeping under, gingerly carrying it over before draping it over Hakuryuu while he cried. 

Eventually, Hakuryuu's sobs quieted, and he clutched at the blanket, pulling it around himself tighter. It smelled like Judal, which was a comfort nowadays, even if it made him wonder if he should do laundry soon. "Thank you," he said softly.

"You're welcome," Judal replied lamely. "Please don't cry anymore. I'm really bad at this." 

Hakuryuu sniffled a little and sat back up so he could wipe at his eyes. "I don't like to cry, and I've gotten better about it but. It's unfortunately a reaction I have some times. My mother used to always mock me and call me a child because of it."

Judal patted Hakuryuu's shoulder, and Hakuryuu reached up to put a hand over Judal's hand. To his surprise, Judal adjusted his grip so he could hold it, giving a little squeeze. "Sorry for being a shithead, then." 

Hakuryuu squeezed back, thinking. "I… I wish I could call my sister. Ask her. Make sure she's okay." He shrugged. "But I can't."

"She still lives there?" Judal asked. Hakuryuu nodded. "Man that sucks. Guess she's still drinking the Kool Aid hard then." He finally let go of Hakuryuu's hand and pulled his chair around so he could sit next to Hakuryuu at the table.

"I honestly hadn't thought about Hakuei in a while," Hakuryuu admitted. "I tried not to. You know how it is when it's less painful to ignore something than it is to confront it. But Belial taunted me with her face, and it brought everything back." 

Judal leaned on the table and gave Hakuryuu a crooked half-smile. "Yeah. I know that feeling. You two close?" 

"We used to be. She practically raised me. I thought she was one of the most amazing people in the world, and that she'd always have my back." Hakuryuu bit his lip, weighing all the positives and negatives of trying to share his pain with Judal, and was interrupted when Judal flicked him gently in the forehead. 

"You're scowling and doing that thing where you cut me out again." His grin widened, and he ruffled Hakuryuu's hair. "You can tell me. I'll listen. I'll even think about not interrupting!" 

Hakuryuu sighed and smiled in spite of himself. "There isn't really that much to tell," he lied. "I used to have three siblings- two older brothers and an older sister. Then my mother attempted to murder both me and my brothers." 

"Two outta three's not bad numbers. No wonder you hate her." 

Hakuryuu's gut twisted. "Before that, I thought my mother was the most gentle, amazing person in the world. After that it felt like it was just me and Hakuei against everything. She took care of me, looked after me, but when I tried to tell her the truth, to tell her what our mother had done, she didn't believe me. She told me that it wasn't my place to say those things, and that I should keep out of our mother's affairs." Hakuryuu could feel his voice getting tight- but this time it was with anger, not sorrow. He clenched his hands into fists over his pant legs. "That was the last time we spoke. Not long after that I met Zagan, and then I used Zagan's power to kill Gyokuen." 

"Who may or may not be dead, and probably isn't." 

Hakuryuu smirked a little, surprising even himself. "I thought you said you weren't going to interrupt?" 

"I said I'd think about it," Judal said. "Guess I decided to think about interrupting anyway." 

Hakuryuu shook his head. "You're hopeless." Judal stuck his tongue out. "But… yes. That's basically all there is to it, unless you plan on spending hours listening to my life story." 

Judal straightened and stretched. "Maybe some other time. I was up all night last night, just laying there, not sleeping, you know how it goes." He yawned theatrically, covering his mouth with one hand. "However, apparently the sandman has suddenly decided that I am about to pass the fuck out." He grinned as he lowered his hand and got up. "You don't gotta turn the lights out or anything, I'm just gonna go lie down." 

Hakuryuu nodded. "I'll probably make myself a light dinner and turn in then. Good night, Judal."

Judal nodded in reply and flopped onto the couch with a thumbs up. Hakuryuu busied himself with a sandwich- he didn't want to make the noise that a full meal would require. Maybe tomorrow he could make something for himself and Judal. Maybe fish? He seemed to enjoy light flavors like that. Hakuryuu took his sandwich to the table and sat down to eat. He would have to plan a full meal. Maybe if he was lucky he could even think of a way to trick Judal into eating vegetables.

The sandwich was gone quickly, and Hakuryuu found himself growing tired as well. He could plan a meal tomorrow. For now? Bed. He clicked off the lights crept quietly past the couch. 

"Night, Hakuryuu," Judal mumbled from the couch. 

Hakuryuu jumped. "I'm sorry, I hope I didn't keep you up." 

"Nah, it's cool," came the reply from the darkness. "It's your house." 

Hakuryuu felt his emotions twinge. "Well, at this point I think you've been squatting long enough that it's almost yours too." That made Judal laugh, and Hakuryuu smiled at the sound. He felt bad, almost, making Judal sleep on the couch. Not that there was really anywhere else to put him. Unless… "Judal?" Hakuryuu asked.

"Mmm…?"

"If the couch is uncomfortable, you can come share my bed. It's a full size, so we should both be able both fit on it." 

There was a silence that stretched out long enough to make Hakuryuu squirm. Had he embarrassed Judal or overstepped some boundary? That would be pretty dumb, considering he was willing to let Judal eat his arm. Then he heard the couch creak as Judal got up. 

"Sounds great," he said, slinging an arm around Hakuryuu.

Hakuryuu smiled, laying a hand over Judal's arm and walking them both down the hall to his room. Judal watched Hakuryuu sidelong as he changed clothes, drinking in the sight of his lithe, scarred body. Hakuryuu met his gaze head on.

"Do you mind?" Hakuryuu asked.

"No, not at all!" Judal flashed a cheeky grin. "I'm enjoying it actually."

Hakuryuu sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. "Turn around, Judal, I'd like some smidgen of privacy while I get my pajamas on." 

"Fiiiine, fine." Judal acquiesced, turning to stare out of the window until the lights went out and he felt the bed sink slightly as Hakuryuu climbed in next to him.

"Good night, Judal," Hakuryuu said softly. "For the second time."

"Yeah," Judal said, smiling some. "Night!" He flopped down into the bed and rolled into Hakuryuu's back, hugging him tight. Hakuryuu jumped, just a little, but then he sighed and relaxed. Judal could feel his warmth through his clothes, hear his breath and his heartbeat. He nestled his face into the crook of Hakuryuu's neck and sighed, contented. "Good night," he said again, softer this time, and already he could feel sleep pulling him down into its warm and peaceful embrace.


	16. En Papillote

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judal ranks Hakuryuu's gothness, gets upset at the French language, and eats a vegetable.

Waking up next to Judal was like waking up next to an affectionate octopus. Sometime during the night, Judal had simultaneously expanded over the whole bed and trapped Hakuryuu in a tight, binding embrace. Hakuryuu stared at the floor, contemplating all the decisions that had lead to this moment, and decided, yes, he was on the right path in life. 

Even if his foot had fallen asleep.

He shifted slightly to kiss Judal's hand. Judal made a soft noise in his sleep and wrapped tighter around Hakuryuu. "Come on," Hakuryuu whispered, trying to pull Judal loose. "I need to get up and pee."

Judal made another noise, louder and clearer, and hugged Hakuryuu tight. "No. We're snuggling now." 

Hakuryuu struggled, but that just made it worse. "My foot is asleep, and I need to pee. Please free me, Judal."

"Beg me for your freedom," Judal demanded, nuzzling his face into the back of Hakuryuu's neck to kiss him. Judal was so touchy now that they were… whatever they were now. Hakuryuu gasped and murmured and squirmed a little at how Judal's kisses sent shivers down his spine. "Beg me for freedom, and I will release you!" 

"Judal, you're being ridic-"

"That's pretty bad begging!!!" Judal hugged him tighter. Hakuryuu began to suspect that this might be a game to him. He struggled against Judal, but to no avail. Judal just shifted, wrapping more and more around him. This was ridiculous. He felt ridiculous. He didn't want to have to play Judal's game's just to get out of bed. "You let me into your bed so now it's mine! And I won't release you unless you beg me to!"

"This is stupid." Judal squeezed so tight it became uncomfortable. "Alright, alright! Release me! I'm begging you to release me, you overgrown man child."

"Okay." And Judal did, letting Hakuryuu jump up out of the bed. Judal looked entirely too pleased with himself. "My bed now." 

Hakuryuu shook his head, smiling in spite of himself. "I'm going to go pee now." 

Judal stayed, rolling on the bed. "Have fun~" 

After Hakuryuu had finished his business, he washed his hands and brushed his teeth, all the while mentally assembling his plan for the day. He was still in the mood to make a nice dinner for them. He'd need fish, some more vegetables, oven-safe parchment paper… A trip to the store was in order. He might even venture a little further out than usual to go to the good fish market. Judal was crass, but he seemed like the sort of person who could appreciate quality in seafood. 

When had he started thinking about him like that?

Judal came wandering in as Hakuryuu was finishing washing his face, and shoved him out of the way to brush his own teeth. "So what's the plan today? We gonna try to stake out some more Al Tharman shit?" 

"I thought it might be good if we gave our minds some room to breathe." Hakuryuu looked Judal up and down, taking in the way his hair had escaped from the braid during the night, and how slightly less unreally stunning he was after just washing his face. It was comfortingly human to watch him put himself together. "How do you feel about going shopping?"

Judal's head whipped over, excitement only slightly clouded by suspicion. "What kinda shopping?"

"Well I need some groceries-" Judal blew a raspberry and went back to exfoliating. "But I was also thinking we could maybe go to the mall to do a little shopping. You don't have many clothes, and since I'm no longer planning on murdering you, that's a bit of a problem."

Judal laughed out loud. "You are such a fucking trip." He crouched down to remove his makeup from the cabinet beneath the sink. "But yeah, I will totally take some new clothes if you're buying." 

"Alright then, we'll head out once you're done with your makeup." 

"What about breakfast?"

"We'll get something on the way." Hakuryuu sat on the lip of the tub, watching as Judal made the best of his somewhat destroyed makeup palettes to cover his lids in brilliant colors, afterwards covering his blemishes and imperfections, and lastly filling in his patchy eyebrows to be fabulously sculpted and dark. "You're very good at that."

"Been practicing a long time…" Judal said, turning his face back and forth in the mirror to make sure his coverage was even. "I like to look perfect, because I am." 

"That's an interesting way of putting it," Hakuryuu teased with a little smile. "Let's get going." 

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?"

* * *

Hakuryuu had never really spent much time hanging out in malls. When he was younger, living in the Al Tharman compound in the middle of nowhere, he'd never really had the chance to go to one. Then, when he was free of his mother and living with Zagan, they had never had much of an appeal outside of the practicality of having several stores in one place. Judal, however, seemed perfectly at home.

"We should check out the Hot Topic, for sure. I don't always like the stuff I see there but whatever, it's where goths shop, and we're like actual serial killers so we're as goth as it gets." 

"Please don't say that so loudly," Hakuryuu urged.

"Whatever, people will just think we're joking around." Judal elbowed Hakuryuu playfully. "Looks like they have one of those fancy kitchen stores here too, damn, this is a nice mall. We could go to that one for you!" 

"Do you think they would have parchment rounds?"

Judal shrugged. "I guess? Never been in one, since I can't cook, and I only eat like three foods." 

"You eat more than three foods," Hakuryuu said comfortingly. "And you've really been trying a lot of new things lately. I'm proud of you." 

Judal raised an eyebrow. "I don't think picking a new dipping sauce for my McNuggets really counts as expanding my food horizons." 

"It's a start," Hakuryuu replied with a sigh. "Just let me have this." 

"Whatever makes you happy, my man." 

They stopped in front of the windowed entrance to the Hot Topic, and Hakuryuu peered curiously inside as Judal charged ahead. He'd never really bothered to step into one before- not only because he didn't spend much time in malls but because he really had no use for alternative fashion. He preferred _not_ to stand out, since doing so could be deadly. Judal apparently didn't care about that.

"What do you think of this?" he asked, holding up a pair of skinny jeans with chains on them. 

"You'll never wear them," Hakuryuu replied.

"What? No, I totally would! Look at them! They're badass! They have chains on them!" Judal shook the pants so that chains jingled. 

"Yes, but they're fitted. You never wear fitted pants." 

Judal pouted. "I could wear fitted pants."

"Would you?" Hakuryuu was doubtful. "They just seem impractical."

"Okay, well, I'm trying them on anyway." Judal folded the pants over his arm and continued shopping, picking up morbid t-shirts and a few stylishly patterned button-ups that Hakuryuu also took a moment to consider. Judal took notice. "You should get 'em if you like 'em." 

"I didn't say that."

Judal rolled his eyes, smiling. "I like how you don't try to tell me I won't wear fitted stuff when it's button up shirts instead of pants." 

"You wear skin tight tops all the time. Look, I think you have that crop top on the clearance rack." 

Judal looked. "Nah, it's similar, but not the exact same. Mine's cooler." He held up his armful of clothing. "I'm gonna go try this on."

Hakuryuu nodded, following after him and waiting outside the curtained dressing room while Judal changed. He had not expected to end up in a store like this. He was going to take Judal somewhere nice, like the Nordstrom, or perhaps the discounted Nordstrom Rack below it. That was where he shopped. But Judal seemed happy here, picking out whatever clothes struck his fancy and paying no mind to appearances. 

Well, there was one person he gave some mind to his appearance for- "Hey, Hakuryuu, what do you think?" Hakuryuu looked up and found himself instantly angry at how good the pants with chains looked on Judal. "They're a lot comfier than I was expecting, and also now I kind of want them just to be a petty brat." He turned around and glanced over his shoulder. "Does my ass look as fabulous as it did in the mirror?"

It looked amazing. "I didn't see it in the mirror, so I can't really say." He reluctantly looked up from Judal's upsettingly nice butt. "But I suppose they do look very nice on you. They suit you better than I was expecting." 

Judal did a dramatic little "yes," pumping his fist up into the air before disappearing back into the changing room. "The t-shirt fit fine, so the rest should too. Gonna try on the other pants and one of these button ups." 

"That sounds good." Hakuryuu stared up at the mock-industrial ceiling until Judal returned. The music in here was a bit too loud to be comfortable. It hadn't seemed as bad when he'd first entered, but it was starting to wear on him. Judal emerged looking just as fine as he had the first time, this time in distressed black jeans that were thankfully free of chains. "Your shirt isn't buttoned all the way."

"You're gonna tease me about every outfit I try on?" he winked at Hakuryuu, and didn't sound mad. "This way it shows off my dashing chest."

Hakuryuu shook his head, smiling. "The shirt does look good on you, although it's strange to see you dressed in something that could ever even feign to be formal." 

"It's so you can take me nice places. So can I get all of it?"

"You don't need _all_ of those t-shirts you picked up. But you should get some, and also the pants and button ups." 

"I see. You want to mold me in your image." Judal threw a hand dramatically over his forehead, eyes closed in some parody of a dying hero. It was ruined when he cracked one eye open and grinned. "But that's okay, I don't mind looking cute for you." 

Hakuryuu shook his head. "Go put your clothes back on." Once Judal was gone, things felt overwhelming again. Why was he wasting time here when he could be going through documents or trying to find his next lead? If Gyokuen was still alive, there was no doubt that she was already hard at work on whatever foul scheme she had dreamed up, and if those foul schemes really did involve the revival of an ancient, sealed being-

"Okay, I have made my selections from the t-shirts, but I still wanna look at jewelry." Judal hooked an arm in Hakuryuu's and dragged him to the accessories. "I mean I don't have any piercings, but like maybe someday I will. That'd be pretty cool right? Like most of the cool shit is for piercings…"

Hakuryuu shrugged, Judal's words running out of his brain like water off a duck's back. His next move should be trying to circumvent whatever plan his mother had. But what was the plan? The revival of her phony god? That thing he had seen in Judal's mind was vast enough to chill him to the bone. If it was released…

Judal glanced down to Hakuryuu's tapping foot and back up to his face. "Something wrong?"

"What?" Hakuryuu said with a start. "No. Nothing's wrong." 

Judal looked down to his foot, now stilled, and back up to Hakuryuu's face, which was now twitching a little with nerves. "Uh-huh… You seem really fucking antsy, dude. You okay?"

"I… Just. Loud. The music is loud." Judal continued to stare at him, and Hakuryuu watched as a single eyebrow raised in doubt. Hakuryuu sighed heavily, caving. "I mean, that is part of it. But also I suppose I feel a little guilty relaxing and having fun while Al Tharman is out there doing who knows what."

Judal lowered that eyebrow and then raised the other. It looked ridiculous. "You were the one who suggested we should try to relax."

"I know!" Hakuryuu snapped, a little sharper than he meant to. Judal just stood there, his expression of mild concern and doubt unchanged. "I feel stupid being so anxious because I know that I was the one who suggested we should try to relax some. But I just can't stop thinking about Al Tharman, and Gyokuen, and-"

"Here." Judal put down the jewelry he'd been holding and stopped doing that ridiculous thing with his eyebrows. "I picked some stuff I like, so let's pay for this and then go do your thing. We can go to the table store." 

"The what?"

"You know," Judal said, making a vague gesture that meant absolutely nothing. "The fancy kitchen place! For your parchment circles."

"Rounds." 

"Same thing!" 

Hakuryuu took a deep breath, forcing himself back down into his own skin. "Alright. That sounds. Nice." 

Judal nodded, and they brought his picks up to the register. Hakuryuu paid in cash and refused to sign up for their rewards program, much to Judal's dismay. He let it go though, and then he lead Hakuryuu out of the Hot Topic and across the mall to the Sur la Table. It was a warmly lit Mecca of kitchen supplies and accessories. Hakuryuu entered with a slow sense of awe, wondering why he'd never bothered to stop in before. Probably something to do with the aforementioned "not really going to malls much." Somehow Judal made him want to do things he expected he'd hate. 

Judal smiled. "The table store is pretty dope, right?" 

Hakuryuu glanced over at him. "You… do know that it's not pronounced that way, right? You're purposefully mispronouncing it for humorous effect."

Judal's face fell in a way that revealed that, no, he didn't. "What? Then why'd they spell it like that?" 

"It's French," Hakuryuu explained.

Judal pouted. "It's dumb."

"No, it's French." Judal opened his mouth to continue their teasing, but Hakuryuu's eye had been caught by the stand mixers. They had the commercial grade KitchenAids, and he'd been wanting to see one in person. 

Judal's mouth snapped shut, and he tailed after Hakuryuu. There was something about his open joy over something as simple as kitchen supplies that made Judal smile. Usually he hated not being the center of attention, but Hakuryuu's unconscious smile made Judal smile too. Instead of boredom, he just felt pride that Hakuryuu was enjoying the store he'd picked. It was weird, but good weird.

"If I was doing more cooking at home, I would really want one of these," Hakuryuu said, running a hand over the stainless steel arm of the KitchenAid. 

"Dude, you cook at home all the time."

'Yes, but it isn't usually the sort that involves needing a fancy stand mixer. Maybe if I was baking, or making larger batches of food… But there are more practical things I could buy."

Judal eyed the shelves. "Like an ice cream maker?"

Hakuryuu turned around to look, laughing. "That is quite possibly the thing I have the least use for. It sounds fun, though." 

They wandered through more of the store, admiring attractive sets of kitchen towels and ooing over exciting gadgets. Judal's warm and fuzzy feelings over how happy Hakuryuu looked didn't go away. That was pleasantly vexing. Eventually they managed to find the parchment rounds, and with that Hakuryuu declared that they were done with the mall and marched them to pay. 

Once back in the car, they made their way to the good grocery store. Hakuryuu had been out long enough that he didn't want to trek all the way to the fish market, so this was the least he could do. Judal waited in the car while Hakuryuu ran through to get the ingredients he needed, and then they went home. 

Hakuyuu unpacked their groceries in the kitchen, putting away things for later but leaving out what he would need tonight. Judal hovered around before finally declaring that it seemed boring, going off to entertain himself elsewhere and leaving Hakuryuu to some peace and quiet. He wanted to prepare things without Judal’s prying eyes, in hopes that that would prevent his complaints about the vegetables later.

First, he set the oven to preheat and lined a baking tray, He cut the tilapia - chosen to not offend Judal’s sensitive tastes - into fillets to fit the parchment rounds and put it into the refrigerator to keep it at a safe temperature while he worked on the rest of the preparations. A handful of small, red-skinned potatoes were cut into bite sized quarters and tossed in a bowl of olive oil and garlic before Hakuryuu scattered them on the baking tray. They could roast while he prepared everything else.

He skinned a carrot over the sink and cut it into perfect, round slices, before he added them to the bowl. Zucchini and scallions were next, julienned into small strips, and Hakuryuu finished the selection of vegetables with freshly grated ginger.

Hakuryuu stared down at the variety of vegetables; there were enough that he was half worried it would overwhelm Judal, but he decided to stick with his choices. Hopefully Judal would find something he liked this way. The colors looked good together, too.

Hakuryuu cleared his counters of the mess from preparation to make room for the parchment rounds. He set out two, one for each of them He pulled the fish out of the fridge and the potatoes out of the oven, setting them aside to cool briefly. He then folded each round in half before opening them back up and placing a fillet against the fold in each. Next, he sprinkled the fish with salt and pepper, piled the carrots, zucchini, and scallions on top, and seasoned the whole thing again. He carefully arranged the potatoes around the fish and vegetables, and then plucked some fresh herbs from his windowsill planter. Rosemary and thyme seem like perfect matches for this, so put a few sprigs of them in each and drizzled olive oil over them.

Now for the part that he hoped would entice Judal into eating the vegetables. Hakuryuu folded the parchment over the food inside and pleated the edges together until he had two beautiful parchment half moons full of fish and vegetables. He carefully transferred them to the baking tray and slid them in the oven, quite proud of himself. It already smelled nice from roasting the potatoes, and he can only hope Judal appreciates it. While that cooked, he prepared a few more half moons with the remaining ingredients. If this went over well, they'd make a convenient meal that would be delicious and nutritious. If not, he'd just eat them himself.

Judal came wandering in as they were almost finished cooking, guided by his nose. "Mmm… smells good in here. What are we having?" 

"Thank you," Hakuryuu said, opening the oven. "It's tilapia _en papillote_."

"Is that more French?"

Hakuryuu laughed. "Yes, actually. Can you get some plates and silverware? I was just about to call you." 

Judal grunted in affirmation, hunger and excitement for dinner making him more agreeable to minor chores. "And you said you don't cook enough to need the kitchen guy."

"The KitchenAid? I wouldn't have needed it for this." Hakuryuu turned off the timer before it screamed to alert them the rounds were ready.

"I'm gonna steal you one. Or something." Judal sat down at the table, watching Hakuryuu with anticipation. 

"Please don't steal from the Sur la Table. It was nice." Hakuryuu served each of them a round, bringing glasses of water as well. "That's going to be hot, so please be careful." 

Judal poked the round with a fork. "So do I open this, or do I eat it, or…" 

Hakuryuu laughed. "Why would you eat the parchment round? It's paper!" 

"Well, I didn't know that!" Judal pulled it open. "Coulda been some sorta fancy paper-like pastry bullshi- aw hell, there's so many vegetables in this!" 

Hakuryuu's face fell. "And fish, and potatoes. Try it. You never know what you might end up liking." 

Judal opened his mouth to protest, but then he saw the look on Hakuryuu's face and decided, for once in his life, not to be a festering asshole. He stabbed a sliver of fish and popped it into his mouth. "Mmm. Oh, man that's really good!" Carefully avoiding the veggies, he started to devour the contents of the parchment half moon. "Okay, bitching rescinded, even with all the vegetables this is good." 

Hakuryuu's smile returned. "You haven't even tried the vegetables yet."

"I'm getting to 'em!" 

Hakuryuu was satisfied with that though, and finally began to eat his tilapia and vegetables. The scallions, ginger, and rosemary leant a bright freshness to the whole dish. It would be a fabulous meal for later in the week, even if Judal didn't want to share in it. But even enjoying this meal as he was, he felt himself beginning to rush, the hypnotic calm of cooking wearing off as the wheels of his mind began to spin anew.

"Tomorrow we'll get back to work," he said. "I'll stake out a few places and watch for Al Tharman representatives while you go through the rest of the files I brought." 

"There's really not that many left," Judal said, still picking his way through dinner. "The files that is. And like I said, a lot of it's out of date. Hell, most of it isn't even relevant to the area where we are!" 

"Well then we need to find information relevant to where we are," Hakuryuu said matter of factly. "We can't stop moving forward. Not when Al Tharman could be on the move." 

Judal looked Hakuryuu over, noting the pinch of his brow and nervousness in his hands. It was weird how much he'd learned about how to read Hakuryuu's emotions. He'd never really cared about that stuff before. Now though? Seeing Hakuryuu this stressed out and tightly wound kinda hurt. He sighed and decided to put his foot down.

"Look Hakuryuu, we need a break," Judal said. "We're spinning our wheels here- we have no leads, we're stressed out, and we're just hurting ourselves pushing at this bullshit." 

"If something is happening then we can't waste any time-"

"Something's always happening! It's Al Tharman! I kept sayin' we should have installed one of those little 'Kill Kounter' things so that any time someone came back from doing something nefarious they could push the button and the number would go up." Judal enjoyed Hakuryuu's slack jawed disgust and incredulity for a moment before going on. "But if we keep pushing ourselves we're gonna just burn out. Slow and steady, right? You seem like someone who says that."

"I suppose diligence is an important part of making progress." 

"So there we go! We take a little break, recharge our batteries, and when we come back we'll be fresh faced and ready to go." Judal then skewered a carrot with his fork and ate it, and he only kind of made a face. "I hate this. You were right. They almost taste good like this."


	17. Marmalade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do you know what a three-week old corpse smells like, Hakuryuu?

Judal was surprised by how successful his suggestion was. For a week, neither of them spoke of Al Tharman, or the lockbox of stolen documents, or of the looming dread of Gyokuen possibly still being alive and scheming. Instead, they read, or talked, or went on walks. Judal got a fancy new phone from one of those pay-as-you-go places, and he immediately filled it with games. The peace seemed to do Hakuryuu good, although it took him a day or two of him fretting and worrying to truly relax. It was almost tempting to remain like this, sharing meals and thoughts throughout the day and snuggling close at night. But even if they seemed like any other new couple, the knife remained under Hakuryuu's pillow, and nightmares and insomnia meant Judal slept little, if at all. It was peace, yes, and that peace was real.

But it couldn't last. 

"I've been thinking," Judal said one day, breaking the comfortable silence they'd been sitting in. "Your boon from Belial. It lets you dig through people's minds, yeah?" 

Hakuryuu set his book down, a quizzical eyebrow raised. "Basically. Why?"

"Well, I was thinking… If we could bag another Ithnan, you know, someone reeeeal important who knows shit, we might be able to use Belial's stuff to dig through their head and get some answers!" 

Hakuryuu thought about it. The plan was surprisingly solid, with one exception- "High ranking Al Tharman members don't exactly grow on trees, Judal. Ithnan was the most powerful and important person I've ever captured, and I killed him."

Judal chewed on that, because shit. That was a problem. "Well," he ventured finally, "we could always dig up the corpse and give it a shot." 

"Dig up Ithnan's corpse?" Judal nodded enthusiastically. Hakuryuu shook his head, holding in the urge to scoff. "I can't read the mind of a corpse. There's no mind left to read." Judal kept staring. "He's dead." 

"You could do your plant thing!" 

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes, going back to his book. "Zagan's gifts are good for a lot, but I doubt they could revive the dead."

"Well, what's your plan then?"

Hakuryuu stared down at his book, machinating and theorizing and evaluating and coming up empty handed. Judal's grin widened so far it looked painful. 

"You don't have another plan, do you?" he was giddy on his own smugness. 

"Shut up."

"You don't have another plan, and you think mine might work! So now you have to try it!" 

"I never said that." And yet, weighing the options, it seemed like a seductive possibility. If he could pull Ithnan back from beyond the grave, how much could he learn? What else could he use that power for? Now that the idea had been raised, the temptation to push his power as far as it could go was almost irresistible. Damn Judal and his all too clever mind. "But I suppose it's the only option we have, so what the hell. The worst that happens is we fail."

* * *

On the drive out of the city and up into the forested mountains, they both thought of all the dreadful alternatives to failure, like being caught in the act of exhuming a murder victim's corpse, or accidentally reviving Ithnan a bit too well. The solutions they decided on for these alternatives were shockingly alike: just make the problem more dead.

"I don't usually see this place in the day time," Judal said as he slammed the car door shut behind him. "Usually you're out here later."

"The cover of night is useful," Hakuryuu said as he got out of the car and went to the trunk to retrieve his shovel. 

"But not for retrieving corpses?" Judal joked.

Hakuryuu shot Judal a look over the trunk of the car. "Please don't be so loud." He slammed it shut. "I just wanted the extra light to search by because it's easy to get turned around in the woods."

"Makes sense." Judal bounced after Hakuryuu. "You know I'm just messing with you."

The two of them carved their way through sun-dappled wood, following Hakuryuu's memory until they were deep enough into the heart of the wilderness that Hakuryuu felt comfortable dropping the glamour from his arm. Judal watched him flex the joints. It always was kind of hot to see Hakuryuu show off his real appearance, all power and earthiness. Hakuryuu felt for the pulse of the forest, then dug deeper, searching for the rot and rebirth of a corpse returning to the earth. 

"This way," he said finally, leading them off into the woods.

As the grew closer to the gravesite, the summer forest smell of rotting vegetation grew stronger and stronger, and the air began to buzz with flies. Judal clicked his tongue and made a face.

"Aww hell," he said. "This is gonna be fucking nasty." 

"Probably," Hakuryuu agreed. "I think this is the spot." He gestured to where flowering, non-native vines had sprung from the earth. 

Judal shook his head. "No, I mean like. Super duper gross-out nasty. Have you ever seen a three week old body?"

"It hasn't quite been three weeks, Judal."

"Okay, yeah, but have you seen one? Cuz I have. And it's nasty. Like a week and a half is when it gets super gross." Judal made a face and gestured around it, trying to communicate just how disgusting it was about to be. Hakuryuu raised an eyebrow. "Don't gimme that look."

"Are you chickening out?" Hakuryuu asked, stomping the shovel into the dirt. "The terrifying Black Sun, killer for Al Tharman, scourge of my kitchen, is afraid of a little decomposition?" He threw the shovelful of dirt aside and took another, chuckling. "I can't believe you're scared." 

"I'm not afraid, I'm just warning you." Judal said with a scowl. "I'm not afraid of anything. Least of all a dead Ithnan. He was a pansy in life, always all 'Oooh, Lady Gyokuen, we shouldn't do this, it could be dangerous!'" He looked down at the hole Hakuryuu was digging. "Though maybe in retrospect, someone shoulda listened to him. I mean. He's dead, and he was the one always saying they should be afraid." 

"Maybe we can mail them his corpse," Hakuryuu said with a grunt. 

"Oh man, can you _imagine?"_ Judal cackled, crouching to watch Hakuryuu dig. "By the time it got to them it'd be like barely recognizable sludge! Ithnan smoothie, just add putrefaction!" 

"I think you're being a bit overdramatic."

"Oh man, you really haven't seen a three week old corpse before, have you?" Judal laughed. "Man, you are in for a treat." 

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes, throwing himself into digging. He was already sweaty, and he knew by the time he reached the body, he would be drenched. At least summer was finally ending. Soon the weather would be crisper, and digging ditches would be less sweaty work. 

Hah. That was a funny joke.

Maybe he'd just make Judal take a turn digging instead of letting him sit there on his ass making gross jokes about Ithnan's dead body. Though Judal was all abs, no actual muscle. Hakuryuu couldn't help but wonder if the abs were even real. He should put him through his paces, really make him work out. Not that Hakuryuu worked out, but dragging dead bodies around had certainly built some muscle on him. His shovel squelched in the moist dirt, and he flung load after load over his shoulder as the smell of rot and earth grew stronger and stronger. 

"I think that was a hand or something just now," Judal said, pointing at where the dirt was landing. 

"What?" Hakuryuu looked over his shoulder at the mound of earth. "Really?" 

Judal took the shovel from him and started displacing the dirt in a more horizontal fashion. "Oh, oh yeah. Yeah we're hittin' body. Mmm. Smell that, fucking yuck." 

Hakuryuu went over to the pile of dirt, gently shifting it with the toe of his shoe. The soil was alive with maggots, and his foot smeared in something moist and mottled that he realized with sudden horror was, in fact, a hand. His shoe and the shovel had wiped the putrefied flesh off some of the bone, and Hakuryuu staggered back. 

"Eh, careful careful careful!" Judal said, elbowing him so he didn't stagger into Ithnan's shallow, fetid grave. The body inside was an unrecognizable slurry of mud, discolored flesh, and viscous, green-black fluids of decomposition. Hakuryuu was no stranger to the vileness of human bodies. The act of killing, especially of torturing people to death, involved a lot of unpleasant fluids, smells, and sights, but something about the vileness of the smell and the wrongness of the flesh was just… too much. It wasn't even the plants and maggots making themselves at home inside the body. It was the visual texture of the flesh, like curdled milk gone even more sour, that made him feel like vomiting. 

And so, Hakuryuu did the responsible thing, stepping aside a few paces and vomiting into a bush so as not to make the revolting corpse even more disgusting.

Judal cackled with delight as he watched Hakuryuu puke. "I told you man! Three weeks and bodies get fucking _gross._ It's like after they start getting all gassy and breaking down so the flesh gets all creamy-"

Hakuryuu felt himself gag again. "Please don't use that word."

"What, creamy?"

Hakuryuu only was saved from vomiting again by an empty stomach. "Please stop. I'm just imagining you spreading it on toast like some sort of cream cheese." 

"Ithnan Marmalade," Judal agreed with a laugh. "Man, I hadn't really been thinking about this when I suggested we dig him up." 

"I don't know if I can work with this," Hakuryuu said, forcing himself to come back to reassess the situation. Ithnan was barely… well, barely anything anymore. The thought of having to scoop that sludge out of the hole and then somehow reconstitute it into something he could interrogate seemed a vile and insurmountable task. 

"Are you giving up?" Judal looked heartbroken. "Come on, don't be a weenie! I believe in you!" 

"I can't put this back into something alive. It's just too much." Hakuryuu shook his head. "I have an idea though." 

Judal tilted his head to the side. "Oh, yeah?"

Hakuryuu curled the fingers of his wooden hand, holding his nose with the other. The scent of putrefaction grew worse, and Judal watched with grotesque fascination as the flesh rotted before his very eyes until there was nothing left but bones and bugs. The plants that Hakuryuu had seeded in Ithnan grew and coiled around the bones left in the grave. Hakuryuu closed his eyes and took both hands, pulling and manipulating at the very fabric of how things were. The edge of the veil was right there, so close and yet so far- Hakuryuu broke out in a cold sweat from the force. He was going to fall short…

"Let me help," Judal said, gripping Hakuryuu's shoulder. Hakuryuu opened his mouth to object, but instead what came out was an embarrassingly pleased moan as Judal flooded him with power. It burned through his veins with such force that Hakuryuu thought he might collapse, and the spell stitched itself together in an instant. Hakuryuu forced his thoughts under control, but he could feel the pulsing, knotted core of Judal's magic, inches away, ready to be pulled upon or shaped however Hakuryuu desired. Judal's fingers ghosted up his neck, and Hakuryuu shuddered, the power in Judal's touch a terrible aphrodisiac when added to the cocky way he grinned as he dragged his fingers lightly up to stroke an ear, and then finally pulled away. Hakuryuu bit back another moan, staring at Judal with no idea what to say. Judal's aura of power packed itself away, and Hakuryuu was left wanting. "There you go." 

Hakuryuu swallowed. "Y-yes." Should he say something about… that? God, he knew that Judal was powerful, but compared to what Hakuryuu had expected…. And then there was how humiliatingly exhilarating the whole thing had felt.

He was spared from having to say more by a groan from Ithnan's shallow grave. 

Judal's eyes widened, and he whistled appreciatively. "That sounds like something at least. Not quite what I was envisioning, but it should work, right?" 

Hakuryuu turned his attention to the issue at hand. Everything else could wait for now. "I couldn't bring back a body that badly decomposed. I don't know if I even properly brought this back. But we'll find out." 

Judal nodded enthusiastically. "Right, right, enough flappin' your gums I wanna see what we can do with him!"


	18. Grave Warnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The results of Hakuryuu's necromancy lead to unwanted answers.

Hakuryuu and Judal leaned over the grave, staring down at Ithnan's enchanted skeleton. Even just getting a groan out of him was a feat that should probably be impossible, but they certainly did it. Hakuryuu wondered how exactly best to begin the interrogation. Would asking questions be better? Or should he just try to touch the bones and dig through the resurrected memories like he leafed through the mind of the sparrow on his windowsill? The thought of touching the bones was a bit repugnant though. Hakuryuu couldn't stop thinking about the smell and texture of rotted flesh, even though the bones were clean now.

Judal crouched down at the edge, grinning. "So can you talk, or are you just a super aesthetic looking skeleton now?" 

The groan changed in pitch a bit, and the flowers and vines curled around the bones articulated Ithnan's bare jaw like makeshift musculature. "You're rude as ever." Ithnan's voice was a mockery of itself, distant and sandy, and every word sounded at least a little pained.

Judal's grin was so broad and sharp it looked like it might cut his goddamn head in two. "You know it." He poked Ithnan in the head. "Why did you come looking for me?"

"You know why," Ithnan answered slowly.

Judal made a noise of frustration. "No, I don't, or I wouldn't be sitting here chatting and asking you about it. Why did you come?"

"You're important to Gyokuen's plans," Ithnan said. 

"Okay, well, duh. I figured that part out." Judal picked up a pebble from the loose earth and flicked it at Ithnan. It landed with a little plink in his right eye socket and stayed there. "But why am I important? What the hell does she want with me? Is she even still alive? Hakuryuu thinks she's dead, but I'm pretty sure he's wrong." 

Ithnan groaned, and the magic holding him together shuddered, as though the force of so many questions at once was testing the hold he had on life. Hakuryuu put a hand on Judal's shoulder and was surprised at how tense it was. It made sense he would have some stake in this, but somehow Hakuryuu had always imagined that any investment Judal had was motivated by his investment in Hakuryuu himself. It had been stupid, and selfish, and he felt bad for not thinking about what this might mean for Judal too. He couldn't imagine living a life where his very thoughts might slip through his fingers and betray him.

"Judal," he said softly, trying to be comforting. "Slower on the questions. The magic isn't strong enough to hold him together if you pull on too many threads at once." 

Ithnan laughed, which was somehow a worse sound than the groans or his voice. "I didn't know you could look so tender." He turned his gaze to Hakuryuu. "Was killing me not enough? You really are your mother's son." 

Hakuryuu bristled at the slight. "I'm nothing like her. You're here to answer questions, not ask them." 

"That's Gyokuen, all right. Always so sure of yourself. Always bent on having things your way, no matter how many people you have to trample to get it." Ithnan wheezed again, the flowers shuddering and losing a few blooms. 

Judal interrupted before Hakuryuu could let his emotions get the better him. "You don't need to go harassing Hakuryuu just cuz you're pissed you're dead. If you wanna be pissed at someone, be pissed at the crazy bitch who sent you to come collect me." 

Ithnan was quiet, save for the low, keening groan that never seemed to quite stop. Then he shook his head, the pebble Judal had thrown softly rattling in his eye socket. "No. I put myself in this situation. If I was smart, I would have gotten out long ago. I'll answer your questions. It's not like she can come after me for it." 

Hakuryuu narrowed his eyes. "How can we be sure you aren't lying?" His fingers twitched at his side. He could drag the truth out with Belial's magic if he had to, but he wasn't sure how well the spell keeping Ithnan alive would hold if he did.

"The dead don't lie," Ithnan intoned, and Hakuryuu could tell by tingle of magic in the air that it was the truth.

"What is Gyokuen's goal?" 

"She wants to revive Il Illah, but she has been distracted. You killing her vessel has hampered her significantly."

"So she did die?" Hakuryuu asked, hopeful.

"Yes."

"But she's also still alive," Judal objected.

"Yes." 

Hakuryuu and Judal traded a look, not sure how to put it all together. Finally, Judal spoke up. "Enough about Gyokuen, I guess. What can we do to keep being a thorn in Al Tharman's side?"

Ithnan shrugged. "Any information I have is old now. Her plans change every day." He made a terrible noise, and the magic in the air quivered like a soap bubble about to burst. "If you really wanted to stop her? Kill Judal." 

Judal's hackles rose, and he leaned forward. "Hey-" 

Hakuryuu squeezed Judal's shoulder tighter, holding Judal back. "I'm not hurting him." 

"Then you'll never stop her." Ithnan leaned back in his grave, face inclined to the sky as though waiting for rain. Hakuryuu and Judal glanced up, as though they were going to see something other than trees so thick and old they blotted out the sky. "Judal is a key piece of Our Father's revival. It all seems so stupid and silly now, though." 

Hakuryuu glanced back down at Judal and Ithnan. Judal's mouth was a thin line, tight with some emotion Hakuryuu couldn't read. Ithnan's skeletal face gave away similarly little. 

"One last piece of advice I can give," Ithnan said, breaking the heavy silence. "If you want to keep poking this hornet's nest, then you should go to the office complex at 8800 Tanner Street. They're leasing space there." He barked out a single, coarse laugh. "So mundane, isn't it? They might be able to get you more information than I could." 

"Thank you," Hakuryuu said reflexively. It was better than silence.

"Don't." Ithnan's jaw fell slack, and the last of the power in the air vanished. Judal rubbed his temples to ward off the popped ears feeling. 

"Well, that was…" Judal hesitated, obviously not wanting to call his own idea useless, or wanting to discount the importance of what they had gotten.

"It's a lead," Hakuryuu said. "And more than that, it's proof that we can do this again. It opens up the possibility of using more extreme means to extract information without putting ourselves in danger of losing out on other pieces." He picked up the shovel from where Judal had set it down and began reburying Ithnan's body, feeling a little guilty about the flowers he was trampling. 

Judal didn't take well to sitting in awkward silence. He fidgeted with his hair and the fraying fabric of his hoodie. Hakuryuu ignored it. They had information. They proved the spell worked. There was nothing else they needed to fret over, and he was most certainly not going to run himself into the ground thinking about the fact that he should kill Judal or whatever, because it absolutely was not-

"Are you gonna talk about the giant elephant in the room, or…?" Judal said finally, apparently unable to leave well enough alone. 

"I'm already addressed it," Hakuryuu grunted, hefting the dirt back into the grave. Almost done now. "But since you're obviously worried, I'll say it again: I'm not going to kill you, Judal." 

"The dead don't lie-"

"So what? I'm not doing it." Hakuryuu looked at the still displaced dirt, and then back at the shallow grave, looking almost full already. Was this good enough he could stop now? "It's stupid. If you're powerful enough to mean something to Al Tharman, then you're powerful enough to be worth keeping by my side." The hole was filled enough. No one would bother it all the way out here. "Besides, you don't _want_ to die, do you?" He looked over at Judal.

Judal made a noncommittal noise, not meeting Hakuryuu's gaze.

"I don't want stupid self-pity. I know you. You don't want to die."

"I'm a pretty bad dude-" Judal tried to say, but Hakuryuu cut him off.

"You wouldn't be able to eat my cooking anymore. Or peaches." They don't have time for this sort of talk. And Hakuryuu had no idea what to say if Judal actually had some sort of dark, suicidal guilt over his actions as an agent for Al Tharman. Hakuryuu didn't do emotions well, especially not the emotions of other people. 

Thankfully, the promise of food was apparently enough to change Judal's mind, or at least make him fake having changed it. He flashed Hakuryuu a grin again. "Guess you're right. Plus, you'd probably go back to being some brooding loner with no friends. Can't disappoint the crazy fae you serve by making him think you're totally unfriendable." 

Hakuryuu held back a sigh of relief but returned Judal's smile. "I don't _serve_ Zagan exactly. Not yet. I'm free until I get my revenge." 

"You just buy all his groceries and solve stupid riddles and occasionally water his plants for him?" Judal asked as they started back to the car. "Face it, Hakuryuu, Zagan has you whipped." He mimed cracking a whip and whispered, _"Whit-chaaaa."_

Hakuryuu rolled his eyes, the forced smile growing more fond and genuine. "I have a lot of freedom in what I do and don't do for him."

"That's because Zagan is also whipped."

"You just want to say the word whipped."

"Kinky." 

Hakuryuu laughed, unlocking the doors to the car with his keyfob. The more he let himself digest the information Ithnan had shared, the more manageable the problem became in his mind. They climbed into the car, and Hakuryuu found his smile just growing wider and wider. 

"You were a lucky find," he said.

"Mmm?" Judal looked up from fucking around with the radio. "I'm glad you've finally started to appreciate my beauty." 

"No, I mean-" Hakuryuu groaned, turning the car on and pulling away. "Think about it- Ithnan told us that you are instrumental to my mother's plans. That means as long as you stick with me, she can't get what she wants."

Judal blinked, obviously thinking it over. The radio station hopped from pop to rock to pop to commercials as Judal struggled to find something that didn't sound like it was about to lose signal at any second. "So? She'll keep sending people after me." 

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Hakuryuu said. "I've been picking away at small fry. She sent one of her inner circle. And not by coincidence- she obviously wanted you back very badly if she was willing to risk one of them. She'll keep trying to get you back, and in doing so she'll keep wearing her organization thinner and thinner until there's nothing left." 

Judal looked over at Hakuryuu like he was out of his mind. "You knew I was important before-"

"Yes, but not _instrumentally_ so. That's an advantage. And you, you are-" Hakuryuu stumbled over his words, thinking about the feeling of Judal's magic running through his veins, the distant feeling of that limitless well. It made his skin tingle in the same way kissing him had, the same way watching Judal feast on his flesh had. 

"I am…?" Judal asked, one eyebrow raised.

Hakuryuu flushed hotly, realizing how long he must have trailed off for. "Powerful. You're very powerful. I felt it, when you shared your magic with me." 

"Power makes you blush?" Judal teased. It was good to hear that tone back in his voice.

Hakuryuu coughed. "It was… a very interesting feeling. I wouldn't mind feeling it again." Judal reached a hand over to touch Hakuryuu, and Hakuryuu swatted it away. "Not while I'm driving! I will crash the car and kill us both and die with a very embarrassing boner."

"Oh-ho?" Judal said, his voice raising in tandem with an eyebrow. "That kind of interesting, huh? Well, maybe I'll let you feel it again." He squeezed Hakuryuu's arm, but the feeling stayed on Hakuryuu's skin long after his hand left.


	19. Safehouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Home isn't a place- it's the people within it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slightly late chapter posting! I had it done, I just got distracted and forgot to post until the day was almost over. I'm sure the contents of the chapter will make up for it. Thanks as always for reading and for those of you who take the time to share your thoughts!

The next morning, Hakuryuu made a list of all the things he'd learned from questioning Ithnan.

1\. Judal was insanely, arousingly powerful.

2\. Judal was in some way instrumental to the revival of Il Illah. 

3\. Ithnan didn't know the specifics of how Gyokuen intended to revive Il Illah.

4\. There was an Al Tharman stronghold close enough to his apartment that it was a wonder he hadn't been "taken care of" already.

Staring at this list of facts, he came to a few conclusions. First, since Ithnan didn't know the specifics for Il Illah's revival, it was doubtful Gyokuen trusted anyone but herself with the information. Second, since Ithnan had found him, Al Tharman knew Judal was in this city, but they probably didn't know his exact location. Third, since Al Tharman's base was located so close, they probably had the strength to mobilize against anything they felt was a threat or a worthwhile lead. A lead like knowing that someone instrumental to Il Illah's revival was hiding nearby. That lead him to his final conclusion- it was only a matter of time before his apartment became compromised.

Hakuryuu leaned back in his chair at the kitchen table and sighed heavily. Judal glanced up from his cereal, one eyebrow raised. "You're making the bad news face." 

"That's because I just realized some bad news." 

Judal took another bite of cereal, chewing loudly. "Go on." 

Hakuryuu slowly exhaled through his nose, organizing his thoughts so he could tell Judal his worries without saying something dumb, or unclear, or overly emotional. "I was thinking about what we learned from Ithnan, and I realized that it's only a matter of time before they figure out that you're staying here."

Judal stopped chewing his cereal. "Well, I mean, I've done a lot of work to hide my magical signature and stuff. And I never do magic when we're at home. I'm careful!" But Hakuryuu could see that Judal knew he was making shallow excuses. He watched Judal's hand grip his spoon like a desperate lifeline. He watched him work his jaw, clenching and unclenching his teeth. 

"Careful doesn't matter against them," Hakuryuu said with a sigh. "It's only a bandaid. Eventually, they'll find us here. Honestly, they might already be on my scent, and at that point, I'm endangering you." Some of the tension left Judal's body as Hakuryuu got up. "You didn't think I wanted you to leave, did you?" 

"No," Judal snapped, shovelling more cereal into his mouth. "But I thought maybe you were pissed I fucked up your little hiding place." 

Hakuryuu shook his head slowly. "It was inevitable." 

Judal watched as Hakuryuu took his own bowl to the sink and washed it off. Chores always helped Hakuryuu chill out, and this was no exception. The realization was still bad news, but, like he'd said to Judal, it was inevitable. Now they had the time to move in pieces so that Al Tharman didn't notice them making a big hullabaloo to get out. The apartment had come furnished, so it was mostly packing his belongings, divorcing his few emotional attachments, and very, very carefully moving his plants.

"You seem pretty calm, all things considered," Judal said.

"Well, it's not like I really care about this apartment all that much. It's just a place." Hakuryuu smiled over his shoulder at Judal, and Judal raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Okay, but, where the fuck are we gonna go?" Judal waved a hand at their cramped kitchen. "We're not necessarily drowning in liquid assets that we could use to just go get another place, and, anyway, going somewhere else is gonna have all the same problems as staying here! And I do not want to go back to sleeping in piss-stinking bus stations." 

Hakuryuu blinked at Judal, a little stunned. "Well, we're not doing that. We're going to go stay with Zagan."

Judal's frantic, worked up face relaxed into a little "oh" of surprise. "Ah. Well. That makes sense." He considered Hakuryuu's stunned little face, thinking and tapping his spoon on the table. "Well if where we live getting compromised isn't as big of a deal," Judal said, leaning on his palm, "I could try to speed up the like. Moving shit process. Make it so they don't see us from outside." 

Hakuryuu laughed.. "What, are you going to make us invisible?" 

Judal shook his head. "Nah. We'd still have to carry stuff, and then they'd see floating boxes wandering out of the apartment." He traced shapes on the table with his spoon, making more than just an obnoxious scraping noise. The lines behind where the spoon had been glowed with a bright, strange light that shimmered until Judal lifted his makeshift magical focus and dropped it in. The glowing sigil swallowed the spoon whole, and then Judal closed it with a wave of his hand. "I'll just teleport it to Zagan." 

Hakuryuu stared, slack-jawed. He had once or twice seen teleportation magic used, cast as a large spell with multiple supporters, allowing a brief window of travel for one or two people before it had to be closed again. Judal got up from the table, seemingly not bothered or tired at all, and put his bowl in the sink. Then a glowing portal opened a short ways above the sink, and the spoon clattered in to rejoin it. Judal grinned at Hakuryuu, entirely too pleased with himself.

"You are such a show-off," Hakuryuu said, shaking his head. "Just. You didn't even need to do that, at all, yet there you are." 

"Is that a problem?" Judal asked, still grinning like a fox in a chicken coop.

"No, it's very convenient." Hakuryuu returned the smile. "You really are powerful. Makes me sad I haven't gotten to see more of it until now."

"I'll just have to pull out all the stops and show you how awesome I am, in the future." Judal sauntered out of the kitchen and then stopped. "I mean my stuff is pretty much all packed up so I don't really know where I'm going."

Hakuryuu laughed. "Oh, Judal. You are..." He shook his head. "You can help me pack my clothes." 

Judal did a lot more than just pack, offering critique on not only Hakuryuu's overall fashion sense, but each individual shirt, even when it was just an endless succession of identical white button ups. His abundant opinions made the process go fast, adding color and personality to the tedious task of making all of Hakuryuu's efficiently few belongings disappear into boxes and suitcases. When they were packed, Judal crawled under the bed to retrieve the lock box, finding a few stray socks along the way. One of the socks even had a few hundred dollars in it that Hakuryuu must have stored in a paranoid fit and then forgotten about. 

"You really don't have that much more than me," Judal said when they were done with the clothes. "Though there's still books and stuff to do." 

Hakuryuu nodded slowly. "The plants will take the longest to transport." 

Judal cocked his head to the side, looking thoughtful. "I guess we should swing by Zagan's to let him know I'm gonna be teleporting stuff into his house. Doubt it'll work unless he gives me the go ahead, too, and I'd hate for us to fuck up the stuff we do have by flinging it into a teleportation circle willie nillie." 

"I don't know much about teleportation magic, so I'll take your word for it," Hakuryuu agreed. "How about we take my plants down to the car and drive those over. I'm sure Zagan will be happier to see us if we come with plants."

* * *

Zagan was not as pleased as Hakuryuu had expected to see the two of them on his doorstep with a large amount of plants. "I'm not going to adopt your children just because you're too busy playing grab-ass to care for them." 

Hakuryuu flushed hotly, and Judal laughed. "Naw, we're not doing anything like that." Judal muscled his way in past Zagan. "We're just taking the delicate stuff over first."

"First?" Zagan asked with a dubious raise of his eyebrow. 

Hakuryuu's flush reached up to his ears. "Judal, that's not how you go about asking someone for help, especially not if you're..." He looked after Judal and back up to Zagan. "I'm very sorry, Zagan. We just realized some very bad news, and well..." 

Zagan waved a hand and sighed heavily. "Come in." 

Hakuryuu crossed over the threshold, and as he did the plants in his arms quivered with delighted anticipation, their leaves going greener and unfurling slightly. "Traitor," HAkuryuu whispered to them. The plants did not reply, as they were plants reacting to a change in the magic around them, not sentient conversation partners bearing a personal grudge.

Hakuryuu followed after Judal into the drawing room, where he was making himself quite comfortable on the chaise lounge after setting down the load of plants on the low kitchen table. He raised a teacup when Hakuryuu and Zagan entered the room. "Cheers. Glad to see you were expecting us." 

"I wasn't," Zagan said, although he didn't sound as upset as Hakuryuu would have expected him to. "Why are you here?"

Hakuryuu sat down next to Judal awkwardly, plants still balanced in his lap. "As I said we... realized a bit of bad news. Al Tharman has a fully established presence here." 

"You say this as though it's news," Zagan said with a bored wave of his hand. A small troupe of his lesser fairies showed up with additional cups for tea, and a plate of small cakes that Zagan declined. "You've been hunting Al Tharman here for far too long for it not to be established."

"Yes, well." Hakuryuu sighed heavily. The frustrating thing about fae was how they always made you feel as though they were three steps ahead of you, bored when you finally came to the conclusions that they'd reached ages ago. He resisted the urge to say that if Zagan was so damn clever than he already knew why they were there. "Staying in my apartment is no longer an option. The location isn't compromised yet, but it's only a matter of time before it is. And if that happens, it's game over. I'm killing Al Tharman members left and right. Judal is somehow instrumental to their plot to revive Il Illah. Between the two of us, we pose a rather uniquely dangerous set of problems that Al Tharman is going to investigate eventually." 

"So you have come to darken my door." 

"Yeah, pretty much." Judal did not turn down the treats from the lesser fairies, but made a face when he bit into one and discovered that it was not nearly as delightful tasting as it had looked. "Look, don't act all aloof and douchey. I saw the way your eyes lit up when you saw Hakuryuu at the door." He tried another cake, and found it far more to his liking. "You were happy to see him. Now you'll get to see him like all the damn time!" 

Zagan put a hand over his eyes, but Hakuryuu could see that Judal was right.

"Well, I suppose I'd left your room put together," he said after a dramatic pause. "You might as well make use of it."

Hakuryuu's heart leapt up into his throat, and he struggled to find the words to thank Zagan. Instead, all that came out was a strangled little grunt and a nod. Having his own place had made him feel independent again, and having Judal in that space had made him feel like he had a home, but Zagan had been the first one to make him feel safe since he was a small child. The thought of returning to that made the pain of saying goodbye to the apartment, the pain he hadn't realized had been growing slowly in his gut, a little less painful. 

"Oh man, you have your own room?" Judal cackled. "You're gonna have to show me!" 

"I'll have them make you up one as well," Zagan said, lifting his hand from his eyes to gesture at his serving fairies. "No sense in you not having one." 

"That won't be necessary," Hakuryuu said without thinking. "He can just share mine." 

Zagan raised an eyebrow at Hakuryuu, and Judal grinned ear to ear to hide the genuine emotion that was threatening the edges of his expression. 

"Very well," Zagan replied. "Then he can share yours."

"Oh, one other thing," Judal said, flapping a hand to draw Zagan's attention. "I need you to grant me access to this place so I can teleport Hakuryuu's shit here. We brought the plants in hand because like, duh, kinda dangerous for me to go dropping flowerpots through teleportation circles, and also because I'm pretty sure you're not the sort of dude that just lets people drop whatever magic they want into his space." 

"You are correct in that." Zagan rose, crossing to Judal and laying a hand upon his shoulder. There was a momentary glow, and Hakuryuu felt the slightest transference of power between the pair. "That should give you access to come and go as you please. Don't abuse it."

Judal made a half salute. "You got it!"

Zagan slowly shook his head, looking disbelieving but not saying anything. 

"We'll work on getting things moved over for now, Zagan," Hakuryuu said, rising to his feet. "I don't want to do too much at once because I don't want to be noticed, but since Judal can teleport things to you..."

Zagan waved a hand. "Days or hours, I really don't care. I'll look forward to having you home, honestly." 

Hakuryuu nodded, biting back an emotion that he wasn't quite ready to feel.

* * *

Judal's magic made it very fast for them to move their possessions to Zagan's, simply passing boxes through the stable portal and into Zagan's drawing room. Yet somehow, when it was all over, Hakuryuu and Judal found themselves sitting on the couch, not quite ready to leave. 

"It's weird," Judal said finally, breaking the silence of the two of them staring at the furniture that remained. 

"Yes," Hakuryuu agreed. "And a little... sad? I haven't really lived a lot of places, and they're just places but for some reason this-" He stopped abruptly, not sure what to say.

"I kinda feel you," Judal said, picking up the conversational slack. "I lived my whole life in Al Tharman's crummy compound, or in shitty ass hotel rooms while I was out on assignment, or, after I ran away, outside on park benches and shit. So I'm. It kinda sucks to have to leave this behind, even if I know I'm going to be getting a new house." 

Hakuryuu nodded numbly. It was slowly sinking in that all his hard work was going to prove to have been fruitless- he was back to living with Zagan, his mother was alive... Judal next to him made an unhappy noise, plucking at a stray hair in the couch. 

"We should do something to say goodbye to the place," Judal said. "You know, really just- send it off with a bang." 

"Like what, light something on fire?" Hakuryuu asked sarcastically. "I would like to be able to rent another apartment at some point if the opportunity ever arises, thank you very much." 

Judal laughed. "All right, well, then what do you want to do?"

Hakuryuu thought about it, and then glanced over at Judal. His braid was spilling over his shoulder, and his eyes showed all their usual armor against being seen for the punched-tired purple they really were. "Well, it seems silly if you just say things like that," Hakuryuu said, feeling a bit silly at the way his cheeks heated up as he looked at Judal. 

"Things like what?" Judal asked, not being facetious but just confused. 

"Well." Hakuryuu bit his cheek, and stared at Judal. It seemed like a lifetime since he'd met him, like so much had changed, and yet so little time had passed, or real change been affected. He was still Hakuryuu. Al Tharman was still a problem. And the last gasps of summer were still staying unseasonably past their welcome. "Let's go to bed, Judal," he said. "We can leave for Zagan's in the morning." 

Judal's brow creased in confusion. "Huh? It's kinda early for that..." 

"Just- come with me!" Hakuryuu insisted, getting to his feet and offering Judal a hand. 

Judal took it with no further complaints, letting Hakuryuu lead him back into the bedroom. The bedroom was much darker now that they had passed Hakuryuu's personal lamp through to Zagan's, and the room was bathed in the warm light of a single bedside lamp. Hakuryuu sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Judal and waiting for him to catch on. 

Judal just looked at him quizzically though. "You really sure this is... I mean." 

"Are you really going to make me say I want to have sex?" Hakuryuu asked. 

Judal barked out a single laugh. "Apparently, since you just fucking said it!" 

Hakuryuu sighed through his nose, giving Judal a look. "I don't really open up for people like this. I'd appreciate if you could maybe take it seri-"

Judal crossed the room to kiss Hakuryuu, turning Hakuryuu's face up to press their lips together. It was surprisingly tender and brief, and when they pulled apart, Judal gave Hakuryuu a crooked little smile. "Isn't this stuff supposed to be more... spontaneous and deep and shit? You don't gotta know all the answers." 

"I..." Hakuryuu scowled, grabbing Judal by the front of his shirt and yanking him down into another kiss. Judal, either unbalanced or emboldened by Hakuryuu's actions, fell forward onto him, knocking Hakuryuu onto his back on the bed as they kissed with teeth and passion. They broke when Judal's lips wandered to Hakuryuu's ear, laying experimental nibbles there. Hakuryuu made a low sound in his throat, closing his eyes to fully enjoy the feeling. "I don't do spontaneity well. This is about as spontaneous as I get, Judal." 

Judal didn't reply at first, instead taking his time nibbling and kissing Hakuryuu's ear so he could relish the shake in his voice. When he did speak, it was in a low and husky whisper in Hakuryuu's ear. "You saying I should be your spontaneous side?"

Hakuryuu was not sure he was willing to go quite that far. "For now." 

He nipped Hakuryuu's ear again, and Hakuryuu gasped. "Even though I bite?"

Hakuryuu reached up slowly, tenderly stroking Judal's face and hair until his guard was dropped and he yanked on a fistful of Judal's dark locks. "I trust you to behave yourself." 

Judal winced and laughed. "Okay, okay, I won't try to devour you!" He turned his head to kiss Hakuryuu's wrist. "You're just so enticing," he said softly against Hakuryuu's pulse. Hakuryuu loosened his grip, and Judal raised one hand up to hold Hakuryuu's hand in place, kissing along the soft, delicate flesh there. "Is it wrong for me to want to have more of you?" 

Hakuryuu could see in Judal's eyes the promises of that more- more of his flesh, more of his love, more of his power. He could see the hunger that burned, deep and mindless within Judal, and it stirred something in his own gut- an empty, vicious want for all those things Judal desired, but reversed. A knotted hunger that begged to tasted the feel of Judal's magic again, that wanted to tear him open and see the soft, tender affection hidden behind years of Al Tharman's grooming. Judal kissed his way down Hakuryuu's wrist, and Hakuryuu shivered, just letting himself be lost to the sensation. He was mindless of his own soft gasps and sounds; he was too focused on the feeling and his own hunger for Judal.

"You're weird," Judal said, and Hakuryuu laughed. "I mean it! You let me live when killing me could be a death blow for your mom's stupid cult bullshit, you want me to keep sleeping in your bed when you could just as easily pawn me off on some other part of Zagan's bullshit magic house. I'm sure there's-" 

"You talk too much, you know that?" Hakuryuu said, lifting his head. "Don't bring up serious things like that when we're about to have sex."

Judal snapped his mouth shut and pouted. "Should you give me something else to do with my mouth then?" 

Hakuryuu nobly resisted the urge to groan and roll his eyes. "That is an absolutely terrible, cliched line, and you should be ashamed of yourself." He squirmed back a little ways, trying to right himself on the bed, and Judal shifted with him, letting him up just enough so they could both be properly on the bed. Judal did not, however, make any move to move beside Hakuryuu, or to sit anywhere other than right on top of him. "Enjoying the view?" Hakuryuu asked with a little smirk.

"Now who's giving the cheesy lines?" Judal chuckled, and in one swift motion, he pinned Hakuryuu's hands above his head, kissing him again fiercely. "But yeah, I'll say it. You look good down there." 

Hakuryuu drew in a sharp breath and shuddered. "I'm not usually the sort of person who likes to let themselves be vulnerable to..." 

"Anyone?" Judal supplied, cocking his head to the side. "Should I move?"

Hakuryuu regarded his position, and Judal's easy smile, and then he smiled, shaking his head. "Go right ahead. It's nice to trust someone else with the reigns for once." 

Judal nodded, trading Hakuryuu's wrists to his left hand and letting his right hand do the clumsy work of unbuttoning Hakuryuu's shirt as they kissed again. His fingers danced along the edges of Hakuryuu's scars, playing the boundary until he reached the second barrier of his pants. Those gave him a bit more trouble, fumbling blind for a moment before giving up to gently knead Hakuryuu's bulge through his pants. Hakuryuu groaned into Judal's mouth and then bit his lip. 

"I swear to my mother's stupid fake god, if you make me ruin my pants because you're too lazy or too into your power trip to get them off, I will kill you. These pants are very nice, and they're dry-clean only." 

"What kind of serial killer wears dry-clean only pants?!" Judal was absolutely aghast.

Hakuryuu scowled, bucking up against Judal's hand to protest that he had stopped his attention. "I do! Now hurry up and get my pants off, you horse's ass." 

Judal made a face at him, slowly tracing a single finger over Hakuryuu's fly. "Hmmm.... but should I be rushing so much? I mean, you're not a very spontaneous guy..." 

Hakuryuu realized that he had made a grave mistake in letting Judal have control of the situation. When he tried to pull his wrists free, he realized that Judal's hand was not what was actually holding them in place. "You-" Hakuryuu glanced up at the almost invisible band of force clenched under Judal's hand. "You're crafty. But come on, Judal..." Hakuryuu lifted his leg up until it gently brushed between Judal's. "I'd like to think I know you pretty well after all this time. And you're not a very patient man." He shifted his leg more, grinding against Judal's crotch before subtly lowering it just enough that Judal would have to move himself to feel the touch again. "You want to see me come apart under your skills. You want to see me at my best, or maybe my worst, whatever it is that you call getting fucked stupid in my apartment before I abandon it forever."

Judal bit his lip with a hiss of pleasure. "I..." Hakuryuu watched as Judal tried to grind down against the faint touch of his leg, taking the bait, taking himself that little step further. "I could just watch you come apart with want," he retorted, but his breath was shaky from the thought of Hakuryuu, half-mad with pleasure below him, writhing and panting and- Judal ground his crotch against Hakuryuu's leg, the slow humping of a man who is trying not to betray how ready he is to fuck. 

"You could," Hakuryuu said, a little smile on his face, "but you don't really want that. Why don't you just drop the pretension and we can have some fun?" 

Judal laughed, but his hand left from Hakuryuu's wrists. He didn't need to hold them- the magic was doing the real work. He could put it to other tasks, flittering down Hakuryuu's chest to join its fellow, where he then slowly undid Hakuryuu's fly while still grinding against his leg. Hakuryuu watched the deliberation in each movement, and wondered if it was to tease him or because Judal was already getting so distracted that a button fly was really giving him that much trouble. He raised his hips to help Judal slide his pants and underwear off, and then he was sitting before him, completely exposed to the slight chill of the empty room. 

"Are you going to take off your own clothes?" Hakuryuu asked, tilting his head to the side a little. 

Judal paused, looking like he was thinking it over. Hakuryuu had not intended to start a deliberation.

"Come on, Judal," he said, locking eyes with him. "I'm all tied up here, so I can't tear them off myself. Why don't you give me a show?"

"Oh, it's a show you want? Is me humping your leg not enough?" Judal was grinning now.

"No," Hakuryuu replied with an equally haughty grin.

Judal slid a thumb into the waistband of his pants, teasing it down ever so slightly, teasing the view that Hakuryuu could have for just a moment before instead dragging his hand up his torso, riding his shirt up some to show off his abs. Hakuryuu bit his lip. It was showy, and ridiculous, and utterly Judal, and Hakuryuu saw no use in trying to fight giving Judal a reaction when he was already visibly hard from the display. Judal fed off that reaction, off of Hakuryuu's excitement, stretching like a cat before grabbing the hem of his shirt and ripping it over his head with a flourish and flinging it to the side. Hakuryuu raked Judal's body with his eyes, wishing his hands were free so he could feel Judal all over. Instead he just had to watch as Judal slowly undid the ridiculously tight pants he'd bought the other day, pushing them down off his unfairly grab-able hips. He left his boxers though, one last barrier between Hakuryuu's eyes and his gorgeous body. 

"Not taking those off?" Hakuryuu asked.

"Not yet," Judal said, kicking his pants the rest of the way loose and then grinding down on Hakuryuu's raised leg again. "Gotta make you work some for the show." 

"How did you get them to go along with your..." Judal raised an eyebrow as Hakuryuu realized his question might have been inappropriate. "Ah, but I said we shouldn't try to bring up serious things right now." 

Judal chuckled a little, lowering his head to kiss down from Hakuryuu's navel to his inner thigh, skirting around his cock. "When you have power like I do, they just let you do whatever you want to make sure you stay on their side." He gripped Hakuryuu's leg, and Hakuryuu threw his head back as Judal flooded him with a taste of that limitless power. "See?"

It was a struggle to find words that weren't fuck, Judal, more, please, or ohhhh, but Hakuryuu somehow managed to find them. "But no TV?" 

Judal laughed, the feeling of the power in Hakuryuu's veins seeming to change as Judal's tone did, a slowly undulating ocean of strength that pulsed in tune to Judal's smile as he carefully cupped Hakuryuu in his hand. Judal kissed the very tip, his tongue flickering out, cat-like, to tease the head as he pulled away. He was unfairly good at this for someone who apparently didn't have a dick of his own. 

Hakuryuu tested the magic binding his hands above his head, but it still held strong. Judal noticed and countered by taking Hakuryuu into his mouth and flooding him with a wave of power that whited out everything else for a moment. When it subsided and Hakuryuu could recognize the moans of pleasure as his own again, he gave himself a moment to be impressed by how well Judal could multi-task before being lost once again to the sensation of Judal's mouth and hands. He bucked a little, testing the waters, and Judal choked a little and pulled off.

"Too much for you?" Hakuryuu teased, breathless. 

Judal stuck his tongue out. "For that I'm not gonna suck your stupid dick anymore, you almost strangled me with it!" He straddled Hakuryuu's leg, sitting up some so he could rut against it while he slowly stroked Hakuryuu's dick. Hakuryuu was surprised at how erotic it was to have Judal hump his leg through his clothes, marveling at how he could feel Judal's boxers getting soaked as he grew more and more aroused. Dividing his attention between the feel of Judal's cunt through his boxers and his hand on his dick was maddening, and he wished that Judal would just take his boxers off and-

Oh, hell. There he went. 

Hakuryuu watched, enraptured, as Judal ripped his boxers off him, an action somehow erotic in its lack of ceremony and eroticism. Hakuryuu drank in the sight of him and then looked up, and Judal met his gaze with a look of feigned bravado and quiet, nervous arousal. 

"I'm gonna fuck myself on your dick now, that cool?"

Hakuryuu could only bite his lower lip and nod.

Judal lowered himself down onto Hakuryuu's cock, feeling the slide of it in, and they both shuddered and went perfectly still for a moment when he finally managed to fit it all the way in. Judal tried to give a cocky line, and the bonds around Hakuryuu's wrists weakened for a moment. He braced himself against Hakuryuu for a moment instead, both of them shifting and working to find the most comfortable spot. When Judal was satisfied, he started to slowly lift his hips up and down, working Hakuryuu's cock with his body, relishing the stretch and the feeling of bliss. 

"Nice size," Judal said finally. "Not too big, not too small-"

"Are you really going to compliment me on my perfectly average dick while we are having sex?" Hakuryuu gasped.

"It feels good!" Judal insisted, and he gave a little wiggle on Hakuryuu that made Hakuryuu's cock twitch and tighten, yearning for release. 

"Well, you feel good too," Hakuryuu said, trying again to yank at his hands. Still bound, but he could feel them loosening.

At least there was a good show- watching Judal work himself up and down on his dick, putting those nice legs of his to work to get his pleasure. The feeling of Judal's magic had subsided now to just a small, atmospheric hum, not quite shared, just _there,_ and Hakuryuu found himself wondering if this is what it would feel like to be by Judal's side if he wasn't constantly trying to mask his presence. 

And then, with a slight burning fizz, the magic binding Hakuryuu's wrists vanished, Judal's focus on the spell utterly spent. Hakuryuu pulled them down slowly and gripped Judal's left hip. Judal gasped in surprise, looking down at the hand and then back at Hakuryuu, and Hakuryuu grinned at him. 

"Looked like you could use a little support," Hakuryuu drawled. 

"Mmm...." Judal raised and lowered himself a few more times, enjoying the feeling of Hakuryuu's hand as he took his dick. "I guess so. What, would you rather take over?" 

Hakuryuu raised an eyebrow. "Is that an invitation?"

Judal bent forward and grabbed Hakuryuu's shoulder, rolling them over so Hakuryuu was on top of him. Hakuryuu didn't need any further instruction, thrusting in and out of Judal with desperate abandon, one hand still gripping his hip while the other threaded clumsily through his sweaty locks. Their lips found each other, soft and tender, and they kissed until Hakuryuu came, spilling half in Judal and half on the bed beneath them. Judal laughed, and Hakuryuu did too, pressing their foreheads together to share the moment even more. 

"My legs had been getting tired, and now they're just jelly," Judal said, lifting one and shaking it as explanation. 

"Oh, was that it?" Hakuryuu teased. "I thought you were just feeling lazy." 

"It can be both," Judal said, smiling at Hakuryuu. "Though almost getting fucking murdered by you taught me that I also love seeing you leaning over me." 

Hakuryuu went red and sputtered. "I- What. Judal!" 

Judal shrugged, brushing hair from Hakuryuu's face. "What, it's true. You, standing over me, roughing me up, threatening me... It would have been really hot if you hadn't been trying to fucking kill me. Hell it was still pretty hot when you were!" He stuck out his tongue. "I think that's one time that I can be grateful I didn't have a dick!" 

Hakuryuu sighed heavily, not wanting to ask any further questions he didn't actually want the answers to. Judal was a maelstrom of bad ideas and unfortunate instincts. And yet, here he was, wrapped up in him, sweaty and cum streaked and staring, with the sinking, startling realization that this was more than just loyalty or camaraderie or anything like that. It seemed stupid to be surprised over the fact that he was in love, but here he was, as always, about ten minutes late to the party when it came to understanding his own emotions. 

"You look stressed out. Is it cuz I made a joke about not having a dick, or is it because you're creeped out I had a boner over you threatening to kill me?" Judal looked surprisingly genuine in his concern.

"I... No. No that wasn't it." Hakuryuu shook his head slowly. "I just. I love you, that's all." 

Judal gave him one of those crooked smiles, obviously relieved. "Man that sure is lucky, because you're not getting rid of me any time soon." 

"You're supposed to say 'I love you too.'" 

"Oh, I know," Judal said, kissing the tip of Hakuryuu's nose. "And I do."


End file.
